Venous thromboembolism is a broad term for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. It is a condition in which blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs, pelvis, or arms and travel to the heart and lungs. It is the third most cardiovascular illness after acute coronary syndrome and stroke. Deep vein thrombosis is the clotting of blood in deep veins of the body. Deep vein thrombosis is not, in itself, life-threatening, the condition can become deadly if the clot travel to the lungs and become pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism is the occlusion of pulmonary arteries by the clot that is formed in the deep veins of the body that dislodges from the veins and travels through the heart to pulmonary arteries. It is a fatal condition if untreated immediately. Thrombus is formed mainly due to blood stasis, hypercoagulability, vessel wall injury. Symptoms mainly include erythema, pain, swelling at the site of deep vein thrombosis and dyspnea, tachypnea, pleuritic chest pain, cough, electrocardiography changes for pulmonary embolism. Treatment is mainly anticoagulation using heparin and other anticoagulants. Surgical options like embolectomy and inferior vena cava filters are also preferred.
