DVT – Overview

Transcript

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis, and refers to a blood clot that forms in certain types of blood vessels. When you have the diagnosis of a blood clot, it’s because cells and molecules in your bloodstream have formed an abnormally large clot that creates a plug or blockage in the vein or artery. Most often a blood clot refers to a venous thrombosis and can include both deep vein thrombosis and smaller clots in one of smaller superficial veins close to the surface of the skin. In the ER, we are generally specifically looking for clot in one of the large veins that is deep below the surface of the skin. That is where we get the name deep vein thrombosis. Thrombosis means blood clot and DVT means blood clot in one of the deep veins.