Introduction:
A blood clot follows any kind of bleeding. When a blood clot forms in the blood vessel, it is called a thrombus. It disturbs normal blood circulation. It is called an embolus whenever this blood clot leaves its origin and moves somewhere else in the body through blood flow. The formation of blood clots is a natural body defense mechanism. It prevents blood loss. However, the clot dissolves after healing. Thrombus forms when clot formation is improper or there is a failure in the clot dissolution.
What Are the Symptoms of a Thrombus?
1) Arterial Thrombosis
This is the blood clot formed in the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood from the heart to the vital organs. Arterial thrombus disrupts oxygen supply to vital organs. Disrupted oxygen supply leads to cardiac arrest in the heart and stroke in the brain.
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Ischemia: Disturbed blood supply leads to unavailability of oxygen which causes cell death.
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Pale Skin: The pale appearance of the skin in the area of thrombi.
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Cool and Clammy Skin: Interrupted blood flow will decrease the skin's temperature compared to the surrounding skin.
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Numbness and Tingling Sensation: Inability to move the affected part.
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Sores, Blisters, and Sloughing: Wearing away from the skin, separating superficial tissue from the deeper layer of skin.
- Necrosis: Necrosis is the death of skin cells and, finally, the blackening of the skin.
2) Venous Thrombosis
When the blood clot forms in the vein, it is called a venous thrombus. Veins are the blood vessels carrying deoxygenated blood from vital organs to the heart. It is seen in veins of the legs as deep vein thrombosis and lungs as pulmonary emboli.
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Thrombi puts pressure on the veins, leading to blood and fluid leaking out of the veins into the surrounding tissue.
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Change in color of skin, redness, and darkening.
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Pain in the affected area.
What Are the Causes of Thrombus Formation?
Thrombus can form due to certain medical conditions, lifestyle changes, medical treatments, or medications. The following are the causes of thrombus formation.
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Fracture: Traumatic injuries, including fractures, have a high chance of formation of a blood clot in the area of trauma.
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Obesity: Increased weight leads to poor circulation. It can also lead to chronic diseases like hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
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Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis leads to plaque build-up, which is a cholesterol wax-like substance. This narrows the arteries and leads to the formation of clots over them.
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Heart Valve Stenosis: Narrowing of heart valves.
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Atrial Fibrillation: Due to the hyper-pumping of blood in the heart's upper chambers, blood circulation is compromised. Residual blood in the chambers leads to clot formation.
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Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia: These conditions damage heart walls and blood vessels leading to clot formation.
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Genetic Diseases: Due to defective genes inherited from the parents.
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Immunosuppression: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), autoimmune disease, in certain types of cancer.
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Medical Treatment: Recent surgeries can increase the chances of clot formation. Therefore, post-surgery blood thinners are prescribed to avoid the risk of clot formation.
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Medications: Hormonal therapy for birth control causes unintended blood clot formation.
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Sedentary Lifestyle: Long sitting hours and long journeys without movement lead to poor circulation.
What Happens to the Vital Organs Due to the Blood Clot?
The presence of blood clots in the arteries supplying the vital organs can show some classic symptoms.
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Brain: Loss of muscle control, slurred speech, drooping face, confusion and behavior changes, and agitation.
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Lungs: This condition is called pulmonary embolism. It presents with chest pain. Pain refers to jaws, neck, or shoulder. Dyspnea means difficulty breathing and coughing with or without blood. The patient can experience an increased heart rate, sweating, and cold and clammy skin.
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Heart: Chest pain, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.
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Mesenteric Arteries: These are the arteries that supply blood to small and large intestines. Blood clots in mesenteric arteries can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or blood in the stools.
How to Diagnose Thrombosis?
Thrombosis can be diagnosed based on the symptoms of the patient. Diagnosis can be made based on blood tests and imaging techniques.
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Physical Examination: The physician will perform a physical exam and feel the affected area with palpitation. They can determine the approximate location of the thrombus. Along with the physical examination history, medical history, past surgical history, family history, and current medication status provided by the patient plays an important role.
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Blood Tests: Dissolution of the clot forms a protein fragment D- dimer, which can be tested in blood. Proteins, platelets, and red blood cells can be tested in the coagulation process—heart damage markers like troponin, a specific protein in heart muscle injury. The presence of troponin can suggest a recent cardiac arrest.
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Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves can help in the detection of abnormal clots.
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Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Intravenous dyes and magnetic radiations are used for sectional observation of the lungs. This can help in the detection of pulmonary emboli.
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Ventilation Perfusion Scan: It can help to detect the level of oxygen in the lung tissue.
How to Treat Thrombosis?
Thrombosis can be treated with medications if detected in an early stage. However, surgical intervention is required following clots in major arteries.
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Medication: The use of an anticoagulant group of drugs can prevent new clot formation. These blood thinners decrease the risk of clot formation—injectable anticoagulants like Heparin. In cases of emergency, tissue plasminogen activators can be used. They produce an enzyme called plasmin which helps in dissolving clots. Oral anticoagulants are given as long-term therapy to block specific parts of the coagulation cascade. These are the drugs given for the long term after a recent heart attack. Warfarin and Rivaroxaban are blood thinners.
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Surgical Management: It includes surgical placement of an inferior vena cava filter, a mesh-like device. It prevents the movement of the clot toward the vital organs. In addition, the use of decompression stockings helps to increase blood flow to the affected area. Catheter procedures involve using a long, thin tube-like device in the clot size. The tip of the tube can be used to suction or disintegrate the clot. Bypass surgery is a surgical procedure in which a piece of a blood vessel is grafted near the area of the clot to maintain the blood supply.
How to Prevent Thrombosis?
We can prevent changes in thrombus development by regulating blood pressure and cholesterol, increasing physical activity, and maintaining weight with a good diet and exercise regimen. Avoid tobacco and other nicotine products. It is advisable not to skip medications if the patient is on chronic blood thinners without a physician's consent.
Conclusion
We can treat medical emergencies occurring due to thrombosis. Blood clots are one of the blood conditions which is preventable. We can reduce the risk of thrombosis by controlling the risk factors if diagnosis and treatment are carried out at the right time. Early intervention will increase the recovery rate and decrease the risk of complications. Talk to the physician if you are experiencing genetic, medical, or behavioral factors that might lead to thrombosis.
