Solicitors warn that DVT is more common in hospital than on planes

Solicitors warn that DVT is more common in hospital than on planes

Coventry & Warwickshire solicitors Alsters Kelley has urged hospitals and doctors to pay greater attention to the risks of thrombosis in patients, which kills more people than highly-publicised infections.

It is really positive that charities have highlighted this week as National Thrombosis Week. 

When it comes to long-haul flights, most people are aware of the risks of developing DVT – a blood clot which forms in your veins, especially in the leg, and which can block blood flow causing long-term damage or death especially if the blood clot breaks off and moves to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism.

However, many people don’t realise that more people die from hospital-acquired thrombosis – like DVT – each year than from MRSA, C-diff or any of the other horror infections that make the headlines.  The problem happens because people are often immobile after surgery.

We have two clients at the moment who have experienced this first hand.  A Coventry woman admitted for surgery did not receive a risk assessment regarding her risk of developing a DVT.  As a result, she did not receive anti-coagulants.  She developed a near fatal pulmonary embolism, but luckily survived.

In the second case, in Warwickshire, a 50 year old gentleman injured his leg and developed a swelling.  Both his GP and the hospital failed to diagnose a DVT and he later died from a pulmonary embolism at home.

Many of these cases could be prevented if GPs and hospitals carried out simple thrombosis risk assessments of all patients and provide anti-coagulants to all those at risk.

We would strongly recommend that, if you are going into hospital for surgery, you remember to ask the doctor or nurse to do this risk assessment.  You can also reduce the risk of developing a thrombosis by drinking plenty of fluids and staying active if your doctors advise this is appropriate.  If you are at risk of DVT, there should be preventative measures provided that can reduce your risk.”