Teenage thrombosis and blood clots - more common than we realise
When 19-year-old Billie-Jo Twigg felt a pain in her leg she thought she had sprained a muscle. Even when the pain became sharp and shooting and her leg swollen she was unconcerned. It was not until her biology teacher, Caroline Morgan, urged her to get her leg checked, that she took it seriously.
But within hours doctors had found three blood clots in her leg and Billie-Jo feels lucky to be alive. She was healthy and did not have any of the common factors associated with thrombosis: things like being inactive, overweight or being a smoker.
Statistics obtained from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show for the first time that blood clots in the under-40s have claimed 1,075 deaths over four years (2005-8) - 60 of these deaths were aged 20 and under.
Professor Beverley Hunt, haematologist and director of the thrombosis charity, Lifeblood, said action needs to be taken immediately, with better information and training given to spot the clots.
"The statistics are staggering," she said. "The UK's medical community needs to urgently explore why these healthy young people are dying in their thousands from this completely preventable illness.
"We are worried that trainee doctors, nurses and midwives are not being given the basic mandatory training to spot signs of blood clots, and that is something that must be addressed urgently. Much more needs to be done to make sure that front-line medics properly recognise symptoms of deep vein thrombosis which, if not treated early, is an indiscriminate and devastating killer." She said misinformation was stopping people reporting problems.
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS - Symptoms to watch for
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) might not show symptoms, but may be accompanied by some or all of the following:
Pain, tenderness and swelling of the leg (usually the calf) sometimes accompanied by discolouration with the leg appearing a pale, blue or reddish purple colour. If thrombosis occurs in the thigh veins, the whole leg may be swollen.
As well as death there was a risk of chronic problems, such as leg ulcers, as the vein is damaged.
Lifeblood has called for more cash to tackle thrombosis prevention in hospitals - which cause an estimated 25,000 preventable deaths each year. The charity says no money has been allocated centrally for a group set up by the Department of Health to allow hospitals to share best practice in thrombosis prevention. They said no funding has been earmarked for training and resources for those involved in the prevention of the condition.
Top ranked medical negligence lawyer Susan Brown from Reading based law firm Boyes Turner said: “We have dealt with several cases where clients have suffered significant and permanent injury as a result of delays in diagnosing and treating deep vein thrombosis. It is alarming to note that the charity Lifeblood indicate that an estimated 25,000 preventable deaths each year occur as a result of thrombosis.”
Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.
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