What will a doctor do if you have a blood clot?

Treatment depends on where the blood clot is and how likely it is to harm you. Your doctor might recommend: Medication: Anticoagulants, also called blood thinners, help prevent blood clots from forming. For life-threatening blood clots, drugs called thrombolytics can dissolve clots that are already formed.

How do doctors clear blood clots?

The doctor will make a cut in the area above your blood clot. He or she will open the blood vessel and take out the clot. In some cases, a balloon attached to a thin tube (catheter) will be used in the blood vessel to remove any part of the clot that remains. A stent may be put in the blood vessel to help keep it open.

What is the first line treatment for DVT?

The initial treatment of both DVT and PE is anticoagulation. Anticoagulants, commonly referred to as “blood thinners,” do not actually thin blood. Instead, they block the action of various clotting factors and prevent blood clots from growing.

What will urgent care do for blood clot?

If your doctor can’t fit you in, head to the emergency room or an urgent care facility where they have ultrasound capabilities, which they’ll use to check for a clot. If you notice signs of PE (numbers 4 and 5), it warrants an immediate trip to the ER.

Is hospitalization required for DVT?

Hospitalization is recommended for patients with massive DVT, with symptomatic pulmonary embolism, at high risk of anticoagulant bleeding, or with major comorbidity.

When should you go to the ER for a blood clot?

If you suspect that you have a blood clot or experience any of the signs and symptoms, you should consider going to the ED. Signs of DVT include: Swelling of the legs, ankles, or feet. Discomfort, heaviness, pain, aching, throbbing, itching, or warmth in the legs.

Do they admit you for a blood clot?

Doctors will often only admit patients for a blood clot or DVT if they believe further monitoring is needed in case the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, if another underlying health issue is causing the clots to form, or if current treatment seems to not be working.

How do hospital check for blood clots?

An ultrasound is the most common diagnostic test for DVT and uses sound waves to create a picture of the arteries and veins in the leg. Doctors also can order a blood test known as the D-dimer test. Computed tomography (CT) scans are typically used to diagnose PE.