【Health Lecture】Silent Killer——Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)?

In order to ensure the scientific effect of learning health knowledge in the "2024 China Elderly Health Knowledge Competition", the organizer has collected various health science articles suitable for the elderly from various hospitals. We will share them through the "Health Lecture" column. Today, Wang Lijun, a teacher from the Department of Orthopedics of Xining Third People's Hospital, brought us: "Silent Killer - Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)?" Elderly friends are welcome to learn. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. It is the third largest cardiovascular disease in clinical practice after ischemic heart disease and stroke. Because of its high incidence and strong concealment, it is known as the "silent killer".

The calf is known as the "second heart of the human body". The muscles at the back of the calf squeeze the veins in it. When the muscles are active, they squeeze the blood in the veins to make it flow centripetally. However, due to certain circumstances, the muscles at the back of the calf are inactive (such as long-term sitting or lying down, orthopedic surgery, long-term bed rest after childbirth, etc.), which can cause blood stasis in the veins and form blood clots, i.e. thrombi. If you find leg pain, swelling, redness, fever, unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or loss of consciousness, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Basic prevention

1. Dietary habits: Eat low-fat, high-protein, high-calorie, rich in fiber, and easily digestible foods. Drink plenty of water to keep bowel movements smooth and avoid increased intra-abdominal pressure during bowel movements that affects venous return. You can also eat foods such as black fungus, celery, and hawthorn. Smoking is prohibited. Avoid eating spicy, sweet, and greasy foods to avoid increasing fluid viscosity. Avoid eating foods that are too hard or too salty to avoid damaging and irritating the mouth. Drinking tea appropriately can inhibit platelet aggregation, while ensuring adequate fluid intake to prevent blood from concentrating and forming thrombi. The daily water intake should be 1500-2500 ml.

2. Lifestyle: Quit smoking and drinking. Nicotine in tobacco can cause blood vessels to contract strongly, and the skin temperature of fingers and toes can drop by 2.5℃-3.5℃, affecting the blood circulation of the extremities. Excessive drinking can damage blood cells, and both greatly increase the risk of thrombosis. Avoid drinking strong tea or coffee, avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time, and do not wear clothes, shoes or socks that are too tight. Poor blood circulation can promote thrombosis.

3. Avoid sitting for long periods of time and do appropriate exercise: promote blood circulation and prevent thrombosis. For every 90 minutes of sitting, the blood volume circulating in the lower limbs decreases by 40%. On this basis, for every additional hour of sitting, the incidence of VTE increases by 10%.

4 Functional exercises: ankle pump functional exercises, quadriceps exercises, and calf muscle circular exercises.

Physical prevention: gradient compression stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression device.

Drug prevention:

1. Take oral anti-thrombotic drugs.

2. VTE patients must pay attention to the risk of bleeding when using medication. If bleeding is found on the skin, gums, mucous membranes, etc., be sure to inform the medical staff for treatment. At the same time, avoid collisions and falls, and avoid eating hard and irritating foods.

Author: Wang Lijun Image: Qianku.com About the Author

Wang Lijun is a nurse in the Department of Orthopedics of Xining Third People's Hospital. She loves nursing and has rich experience and deep feelings in nursing elderly patients with fractures. She is actively engaged in health science popularization and is committed to contributing to the health of the elderly.