Study warns of deep-vein thrombosis 'crisis'

January 26, 2004

23 Jan 2004

By , USA TODAY

Airlines routinely warn about the risk of deep-vein thrombosis, the

so-called economy-class syndrome, but a new study says doctors are not doing

enough on the ground to prevent DVT cases.

In particular, people in the hospital, who may have risk factors such as

obesity, surgery and prolonged immobility, do not always get simple,

preventive care. And, the study found 71% of all sufferers had not received

preventive care.

Treatments such as stockings to improve leg circulation and drugs have been

shown to prevent blood clots and cut the DVT rate by two-thirds.

'This is a public health crisis,' says Goldhaber, a DVT expert at

Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, an author of the study in this week's

American Journal of Cardiology.

Doctors today will try to rally support from other medical experts at a

Washington meeting of the Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis, a

group, along with the American Medical Association, that hopes to raise

awareness in medicine.

The condition begins when clots form in the large veins in the legs,

especially after periods of immobility. It may cause leg cramps, but of the

estimated 2 million people a year who have DVT, as many as half have no

symptoms.

The public has learned more about DVT as the risks associated with airline

travel have made news. But other factors such as hypertension or obesity

don't always raise the DVT flag in the medical community.

For the study, paid for in part by Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Goldhaber and

his team surveyed 5,451 people with DVT at 183 locations over six months.

Two-thirds were overweight or obese, which increases the chances of

developing PE. Other characteristics:

€ 50% suffered hypertension.

€ 38% had surgery within three months before the clot was found.

€ 34% were immobile within 30 days of diagnosis of DVT.

€ 32% had cancer.

Of the 2,726 patients who were hospitalized when diagnosed, only 42% had

preventive care.

'This offers us opportunities to improve care,' says the American Hospital

Association's . She says the best steps include 'getting

patients up and moving.'

Recommended Posts