Welcome to NATT-MN

Know the Symptoms:

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) a clot that usually forms in the leg area:  This silent killer strikes nearly 400,000 people a year.

If you experience any of the following signs and symptoms, please seek medical treatment, immediately!

  • Swelling, usually in one leg
  • Pain and/or tenderness at the site
  • Reddish or bluish skin discoloration
  • Warm to the touch at the site

Pulmonary Embolism (PE) occurs when the clot breaks loose and travels to the lung.

Pulmonary Embolisms strike over 530,000 people, resulting in 300,000 deaths each year.

  • Sudden shortness of breath
  • Chest pain that is sharp and stabbing and may get worse with a deep breath
  • Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus

Blood Clots are a Public Health Crisis of National Urgency

Each year, an estimated 900,000 Americans will suffer blood clots, of which nearly one third – 300,000 will be fatal.  When a blood clot forms in one of the large veins, usually in the lower limbs, circulation becomes blocked.  Too often, these blood clots break away and travel to the lungs. When this occurs it is called a pulmonary embolism (PE) which can result in death.  This silent, vascular killer affects so many diseases and conditions.

In Minnesota – the Surgeon General estimates that blood clots will strike more than 10,000 people each year, resulting in over 1,700 deaths, most of which are preventable.  Information released recently from the Mayo Clinic  provides significantly higher estimates for Minnesota, with blood clots striking more than 15,000 people and resulting in over 5,000 deaths.

Those most at risk include:

HIGH RISK

  • Hospitalization
  • Major surgery, such as abdominal/pelvic surgery
  • Knee or hip replacement
  • Major trauma: auto accident or fall
  • Nursing home living
  • Leg paralysis

MODERATE RISK

  • Older than age 65
  • Trips by plane over 4 hours (car, train, bus)
  • Active cancer/chemotherapy
  • Bone fracture or cast
  • Birth control pills, patch, or ring
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Pregnancy or recently gave birth
  • Prior blood clot or family history of a clot
  • Heart failure
  • Bed rest over 3 days
  • Obesity
  • Genetic/hereditary or acquired blood clotting disorder

AVERAGE RISK

  • Active
  • Younger than age 40
  • No history of blood clots in immediate family
  • No conditions or illnesses that heighten clotting risk

Take charge of your health!  Knowing the symptoms will truly make a difference.

Learn to Recognize Leg Blood Clot Symptoms!

Symptoms occur in the affected leg when a clot obstructs blood flow and causes inflammation. Symptoms may include the following:

  • Swelling
  • Gradual onset of pain
  • Redness
  • Warmth to the touch
  • Worsening leg pain when bending the foot
  • Leg cramps, especially at night
  • Bluish or whitish discoloration of skin
  • However, almost 30%-50% of individuals with DVT do not experience symptoms from the condition.

Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT is a Public Health Crisis of National Urgency:

Each year, an estimated 900,000 Americans will suffer blood clots, of which nearly one third – 300,000 will be fatal.

For more details, please visit your local healthcare provider or www.stoptheclot.org.