I FIRST noticed a mild pain in my calf as I was walking up the stairs. I just thought I had pulled something.
By the end of the day, I could barely walk. It felt as though I had a tourniquet around my knee and I was short of breath.
I would later be diagnosed with blood clots in my leg and lungs – deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism.
I was one of the 30,000 Australians who develop blood clots, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), each year.
Clots are regarded as silent killers, responsible for four times as many deaths than road accidents. But they are largely preventable.
A new standard of care aims to reduce the number of VTE cases.
Released last week ahead of World Thrombosis Day on October 13, the clinical care standards target ongoing patient care after a hospital admission.
It’s estimated 5000 people die each year as a result of hospital-acquired VTE.
“We know that up to 60 per cent of all VTE cases in Australia occur within 90 days of hospitalisation, and it can happen to both medical and surgical patients,” said Amanda Walker, clinical director at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
“This serious condition is largely avoidable with proper VTE prevention, so it is concerning that a recent Australian report found that fewer than half – 44 per cent – of clinical units surveyed assessed patients for their risk of developing VTE on admission to hospital.
“Of those who were assessed to be at risk, not all were offered VTE prevention. This clearly indicates that many patients who should be receiving preventative treatment for blood clots are not getting the care they need.
“We can do better and the new standard aims to support clinicians and health services to deliver quality care to prevent blood clots in hospital and following discharge.”
Know the signs
The government’s Healthdirect website, says the most common symptoms of a DVT are pain and swelling in the affected area – usually the calf or thigh.
You should seek medical help immediately if you experience:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- A rapid pulse
- Dizziness or fainting
- Or coughing up blood
These are signs of a possible pulmonary embolism.