Cardiovascular - Deep Vein Thrombosis Midterm Notes PDF

3 1 CARDIOVASCULAR – Deep Vein Thrombosis 1. Most Likely Cause Cause: o The primary cause of DVT is the development of blood clots in the deep veins, most commonly in the...

3 1 CARDIOVASCULAR – Deep Vein Thrombosis 1. Most Likely Cause Cause: o The primary cause of DVT is the development of blood clots in the deep veins, most commonly in the lower extremi;es. o The main factors promo;ng DVT are described by Virchow's Triad, which includes: § Venous stasis: Reduced blood flow due to immobility, long flights, prolonged bed rest, heart failure, or obesity. § Endothelial injury: Damage to the inner lining of veins caused by surgery, trauma, or medica;ons. § Hypercoagulability: Increased tendency of blood to clot due to factors such as gene;c muta;ons (e.g., Factor V Leiden), pregnancy, oral contracep;ve use, or cancer. 2. Pathophysiology Mechanism of Disease Development: o Venous Stasis: Prolonged immobility reduces blood flow, allowing blood to pool in the lower extremi;es. o Endothelial Damage: Injury to the endothelium triggers the release of pro- coagulant factors and the recruitment of platelets to the site of injury. o Hypercoagulability: Condi;ons like Factor V Leiden muta;on, Protein C/S deficiency, pregnancy, or the use of oral contracep;ves increase blood clot forma;on. o Thrombus FormaLon: § Platelets adhere to the endothelium, become ac;vated, and release thromboxane A2, which promotes further platelet aggrega;on. § The coagulaLon cascade is ac;vated, leading to the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, stabilizing the clot. § Clot PropagaLon: The clot can grow in size and poten;ally become dislodged, leading to pulmonary embolism (PE) if it travels to the lungs. 3. Disease Transmission Transmission: o Not transmissible. DVT is a non-communicable disease that arises from lifestyle, geneLc, and physiological factors. o There is no direct transmission of DVT from one person to another. 4. Risk Factors Modifiable Risk Factors: o Immobility: Prolonged bed rest, long-haul flights, or siLng for long periods. o Surgery and Trauma: Damage to veins during orthopedic or abdominal surgery increases clot risk.  2 o Obesity: Excess weight increases venous pressure, leading to venous stasis. o MedicaLons: Use of oral contracepLves or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases cloLng risk due to estrogen's effect on cloLng factors. o Pregnancy: During pregnancy, hormonal changes and increased abdominal pressure can reduce venous return, promo;ng stasis. o Cancer: Certain cancers can increase the produc;on of pro-coagulant factors, promo;ng clot forma;on. Non-Modifiable Risk Factors: o Age: Older adults are at greater risk due to reduced mobility and venous insufficiency. o GeneLcs: Inherited thrombophilias such as Factor V Leiden mutaLon, Protein C or Protein S deficiency, and AnLthrombin III deficiency increase the risk of DVT. o Medical CondiLons: Heart failure, stroke, and paralysis are associated with reduced mobility and venous stasis. Summary Table Criteria Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Most Likely Blood clot forma;on in deep veins due to Venous stasis, Endothelial injury, Cause and Hypercoagulability (Virchow's Triad). 1. Stasis: Blood pools in veins. 2. Endothelial damage: Ac;vates platelets. 3. Pathophysiology Hypercoagulability: Increased cloLng tendency leads to fibrin clot forma;on. Transmission Not transmissible. Caused by lifestyle, gene;c, and physiological factors. Modifiable: Prolonged immobility, surgery, obesity, medica;ons, cancer, Risk Factors pregnancy. Non-Modifiable: Age, gene;cs (Factor V Leiden, Protein C/S deficiency), heart failure.