Tonight my guest was Dr Parag Jasani, consultant haematologist at Spire Hartswood Hospital. He was talking tonight about blood clots.
Essentially DVT and a blood clot are the same thing, but DVT is in a particular part of the body. DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis and it occurs in the deep veins of the leg. A blood clot in the lung is a pulmonary embolism; a blood clot n the vein is a veinous thromboembolism and a blood clot in the artery is an arterial thrombosis.
Although they can happen to anyone, they are more likely to happen to people who don’t move around much or if you’re ill.
You’ve probably heard about blood clots linked to long-haul plane journeys or the contraceptive pill, but you’re much more likely to get a blood clot after going into hospital. In fact about two thirds of all blood clots happen during or after a stay in hospital.
A 2005 House of Commons Health Committee report stated that every year in England an estimated 25,000 deaths occur as a result of hospital acquired VTE.
It also stated that the estimated number of deaths was more than the combined number of deaths from breast cancer, AIDs and traffic accidents, and more than 25 times the number who die from MRSA.
Mostly these deaths are preventable, and there is a lot that we can do ourselves to prevent the worst from happening.
Lose any excess weight, stop smoking, cut down on salt and fat in your diet, and try to cut down the alcohol intake.
If you have any concerns about any of these issues, then contact the Spire Hartswood Hospital who will be happy to help.