Deep Vein Thrombosis
Cardiovascular · ~11% of blueprint- Pathophysiology
- Virchow triad (stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial injury) → venous thrombus, usually proximal lower extremity, with risk of PE.
- Signs & Symptoms
- Unilateral leg swelling, pain, warmth, erythema; calf tenderness. Often subtle or asymptomatic.
- Gold Standard Diagnosis
- Compression ultrasound. Use Wells score + D-dimer to risk-stratify (negative D-dimer excludes DVT in low-probability patients).
- First-line Treatment
- Anticoagulation: DOAC (apixaban/rivaroxaban) first-line, ≥3 months. IVC filter if anticoagulation is contraindicated.
High-Yield Pearl
Low Wells + negative D-dimer effectively rules out DVT (no ultrasound needed). Provoked vs. unprovoked guides treatment duration.
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Sources
Reviewed September 2026- Antithrombotic Therapy for VTE Disease: Second Update of the CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report — American College of Chest Physicians, 2021
- American Society of Hematology 2020 Guidelines for Management of Venous Thromboembolism: Treatment of DVT and PE — American Society of Hematology, 2020
- StatPearls: Deep Venous Thrombosis — NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls, 2025
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