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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Deep vein thrombosis

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌdiːp ˈveɪn θrɑːmˈboʊsɪs/nounCommon term

In medicine, deep vein thrombosis means: A blood clot in one of the deep veins, usually in the leg, that can cause pain and swelling and may travel to the lungs.

In Turkish: derin ven trombozu, DVT

How it is used

Shortened to DVT. The risk is higher after surgery, on long journeys, in pregnancy, with cancer and with immobility, so hospital patients are assessed for VTE prophylaxis. Doctors use the Wells score, a D-dimer and a leg ultrasound (Doppler).

Example sentences

  1. Her left calf is swollen and tender, so we need to rule out a deep vein thrombosis.

  2. The Doppler scan confirmed a deep vein thrombosis in the right leg.

Common collocations

  • suspected deep vein thrombosis
  • rule out a deep vein thrombosis
  • deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis
  • proximal deep vein thrombosis
  • pulmonary embolismA blockage of an artery in the lungs, usually by a blood clot that has travelled from a deep vein in the leg.
  • anticoagulantA medicine that makes the blood take longer to clot, used to prevent or treat clots in conditions such as atrial fibrillation and DVT.
  • swellingAn increase in the size of a body part, usually caused by fluid, inflammation or injury, such as swollen ankles or a swollen joint.
  • ultrasoundA scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to make live pictures of organs, blood vessels or a baby in the womb, without using radiation.

More terms: Diseases by System

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