Health
DR Helen Okoye, a Haematologist, has said that immobile accident victims risk development of thrombosis.
Okoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that when patients who got injured in traffic accident are in hospital undergoing treatment, they are often immobile for a long time during recovery.
She said that being immobile for prolonged period increases the risk of developing thrombosis, or blood clots.
NAN reports that thrombosis is the formation of blood clot known as thrombus within a blood vessel. It prevents blood from flowing normally through the circulatory system.
Thrombosis can be deadly, and can affect any age, race, gender, and ethnicity.
The thrombosis specialist said that patients who experience blood vessel trauma due to surgery or because of injuries from traffic accident are more likely to develop blood clots.
She said “blood clotting is a natural occurrence in our bodies as it stops the blood flow from cut or injury, but when clots develop unnecessarily, they can become life-threatening.
“A clot can slow or block normal blood flow and even break loose and travel to an organ, which can cause heart attack, stroke, or Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) — the top three cardiovascular killers.”
Okoye added that being in hospital is a major risk factor for the development of VTE, explaining that “VTE is a potentially fatal medical condition in which a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the leg, groin, or arm, known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
“Blood clot can also travel through the circulatory system and eventually lodge in the lungs, known as Pulmonary Embolism (PE).”
She said that data had shown that 60 per cent of VTE cases occur during or within 90 days of hospitalisation.
The expert says that because VTE can occur without any warning signs or symptoms and can go unrecognised and undiagnosed by healthcare professionals, it is important that hospitals conduct a VTE Risk Assessment on patients being treated following traffic accident.
She says such assessment is crucial for all patients involved in road accident and admitted in hospital.
The haematologist advised that individuals found to be at increased risk of developing blood clots should be treated with either anticoagulants or thrombolytic therapy.
She also advised that patients should be instructed to move around and do foot or leg exercises. (NAN)
KN
Tags: Deep Vein Thrombosis Helen Okoye Venous Thromboembolism
