23 March 2011
Deep–Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a common complication among patients with a serious medical illness
This may occur in any part of the venous system, but the most common manifestations are Deep–Vein Thrombosis (DVT), usually in the leg. The patient generally develops some cramps, leg pain, and swelling or at time he may not even have any signs or symptoms. When the clot breaks, it travels to the lungs and there it can block the blood vessel which can cause serious damage and can be fatal. This condition is called pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE is a common complication among patients hospitalised for major surgery or with a severe medical illness like infection or stroke.
Says Dr Dhanesh Kamerkar, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Ruby Hall Clinic, “It is also critical to consider disease risk factors like sepsis, stroke, cancer and major surgery as predominant risk factors in addition to age, immobility and obesity for DVT prophylaxis. DVT prophylaxis would reduce the incidence of VTE in India and thus mortality rates.”
The INDORSE (Indian Observational Survey Of Venous–Thromboembolism Risk and Prophylaxis in the Acute Care Hospital setting) survey supported by an unconditional grant from sanofi–aventis Group (India) was conducted in 2009 and analysed in 2010. Around 13 hospitals from Western India took part in this survey.
The West had the highest number of hospitals which participated in the survey and revealed that the risk of DVT is very high. Approximately 22 per cent of the patients received prophylaxis in the state. The Western states along with the Eastern states had the lowest prophylaxis rate.
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