DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

Patients with certain types of conditions

• Pregnancy – causes pressure in the veins in the pelvis and legs, causing blood flow to move more slowly. After the delivery, a woman is still at risk for developing a blood clot for a few weeks.
• Cancer
• Oral contraceptive use and estrogen therapy
• Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Smoking
• Conditions that make the blood clot too much, such as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

Patients who have had other family members with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism

• Blood clotting disorders may be inherited

Patients who don’t or can’t move around much

Lack of movement can cause slow blood flow, which puts patients at higher risk for developing blood clots.

• Being confined to a bed, such as when you are in the hospital for a number of days
• Prolonged sitting, as in a long airplane flight or car trip (4 hours or more)
• Recent trauma or having your leg in a cast

Patients who have had major surgery or injury to a vein

• For example, prostate surgery or hip/knee replacement