A postpartum client is being treated for deep vein thrombosis.
A nurse understands that the client's response to treatment will be evaluated by regularly assessing the client for:
a- Dysuria, ecchymosis, and vertigo
b- Epistaxis, hematuria, and dysuria
c- Hematuria, ecchymosis, and vertigo
d- Hematuria, ecchymosis, and epistaxis.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
Blood clots are your body's first line of defense against bleeding.
In response to injury, coagulation is an essential function, perhaps even life-saving.
But when the body's normal mechanisms are disrupted, blood clots can form when they're not needed in places that make them dangerous.
A blood clot that develops in a major deep vein is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT can pose a serious threat to your health if it is not diagnosed and treated early.
Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which blood clots or forms a thrombus in one of the deep veins in your body.
This occurs primarily in the lower extremities, but blood clots can also develop in deep veins in other areas of the body.
DVT is a serious condition because a blood clot that has formed in the vein can break loose, travel through the bloodstream, and lodge in the lungs, blocking blood flow.
Even if a blood clot remains in place, it can permanently damage the valves within the vein.
This damage can lead to chronic leg problems, such as swelling, pain, and leg sores.
Every year about 2 million people will develop deep vein thrombosis and about 200,000 of them die.
DVT kills more people than AIDS, breast cancer, and car accidents combined. It is important to detect and treat DVT early for the best prognosis.
What causes DVT?
In the event of injury, bleeding triggers a biological “domino effect” that sets a series of steps in motion.
Platelets and proteins called clotting factors work together to seal off the damaged blood vessel and stop bleeding.
The blood clot dissolves when it is no longer needed.
Blood clotting disorders can occur if the lining of a vein is damaged, if blood flow is too slow, or if a condition or medication causes blood to clot more easily.
DVT is the result of a clot that forms inside a deep vein and prevents blood from circulating normally through your body.
What can happen if DVT is not treated?
Untreated DVT can lead to illness, disability, and in some cases, death.
The most serious complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism, a blockage that occurs when part of the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs.
A small enough clot can be treated, but a large clot can prevent blood from reaching the lungs, making the condition fatal.
DVT can also damage the vein and lead to long-term complications from chronic venous insufficiency or post-thrombotic syndrome.
These conditions are characterized by chronic swelling, pain, skin discoloration, scaling, and venous stasis ulcers.
The symptoms may eventually become severe enough to cause disability. But there are treatments available.
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Postpartum