Veins get no respect. Millions of Americans worry about heart attacks, which occur when arteries are blocked by a blood clot. But blood clots in veins get very little attention, although they can also be life threatening.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot lodges deep within the veins of the legs. When such a clot breaks loose, it can go to the lungs and become a pulmonary embolism. These can be lethal. How can DVT be prevented?
Guest: Thomas L. Ortel, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Pathology at Duke University Medical Center. He is the Medical Director of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center at Duke and Medical Director of the Clinical Coagulation Laboratory and the Platelet Antibody Laboratory at Duke, as well as the Duke Anticoagulation Clinic. He is the author (with Andra James, MD, and Victor Tapson, MD) of 100 Questions and Answers about Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism.
Patient Web site: National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia
