Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hospital care often involves prevention of DVT. There are also precautions you can take yourself.
Preventive steps in the hospital
Clot prevention strategies in the hospital may include:
- Anticoagulant therapy. An anticoagulant, such as a heparin injection, is given to anyone at risk of clots before and after an operation — as well as to people admitted to the hospital with a heart attack, stroke, complications of cancer or burns. You might take oral warfarin for a few days before major elective surgery to reduce your risk of clots.
- Graduated compression stockings. Compression stockings steadily squeeze your legs, helping your veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. They offer a safe, simple and inexpensive way to keep blood from stagnating after general surgery.
- Use of pneumatic compression. This treatment uses thigh-high or calf-high cuffs that automatically inflate with air every few minutes to massage and squeeze the veins in your legs and improve blood flow.
- Physical activity. Moving as soon as possible after surgery can help prevent pulmonary embolism and speed your overall recovery. This is one of the main reasons your nurse may push you to get up and walk as soon as one day after surgery.
Preventive steps while traveling
Sitting during a long flight or automobile ride increases your risk of developing blood clots in the veins of your legs. To help prevent a blood clot from forming:
- Take a walk. Move around the airplane cabin once an hour or so. If you're driving, stop every hour and walk around the car a couple of times. Do a few deep knee bends.
- Exercise while you sit. Flex, extend and rotate your ankles or press your feet against the seat in front of you, or try rising up and down on your toes. And don't sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
- Wear support stockings. The firm, even pressure these stockings exert helps keep blood from pooling in deep veins. You can use a device called a stocking butler to help you put on support stockings.
- Administer a dose of heparin, if recommended by your doctor. If you have a history of DVT or VTE, talk with your doctor before a long trip. He or she may tell you to self-inject a long-acting dose of heparin just before traveling. Your doctor will also tell you whether you need to repeat the dose for your return trip.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Water is the best liquid for preventing dehydration, which can contribute to the development of blood clots. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which contribute to fluid loss.
References
- Pulmonary embolism. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pe/pe_all.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Thompson BT, et al. Overview of acute pulmonary embolism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Kline JA, et al. Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Bauer KA, et al. Overview of the causes of venous thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Deep vein thrombosis. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00219. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Weitz JI. Pulmonary embolism. In: Goldman L, et al. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 21, 2011.
- Troncales FD, et al. Pulmonary embolism. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00025-2--sc0355. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
- General nuclear medicine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gennuclear. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
- Catheter angiography. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=Angiocath. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
- Lip GY, et al. Patient information: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
- Deep vein thrombosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Dvt/DVT_All.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
- FDA expands use of Xarelto to treat, reduce recurrence of blood clots. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm326654.htm?source=govdelivery. Accessed Jan. 2, 2013.
Find Mayo Clinic on