Deep-vein thrombosis of the lower limbs: diagnosis and management

Acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities is a serious and potentially fatal disorder which often complicates the course of severely ill, hospitalized patients but may also affect ambulatory and otherwise healthy people. It is uncommon in young individuals and becomes more frequent with advancing age. The clinically important problems associated with DVT are death from pulmonary embolism (PE), morbidity resulting from the acute event, the post-thrombotic syndrome, and the inconvenience and side-effects of investigations and treatment. Furthermore, an often underemphasized problem is the anxiety that may occur in those patients who have suffered a thrombotic episode.