Story Telling (Highlights & Focus)

Normally, this slide is going to go unnoticed. How your audience responds can affect the mood of the entire presentation. Putting everyone to sleep is a quick way of getting tossed to the bottom of the pile. For patients and clinicians who are clearly aware what DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) means and a potential drug that reduces this occurrence with a reduced risk/side effect of bleeding (hemorrhage) and this is a headturner.

A simple video can help:

Followed by the recent comments provides additional emphasis:

Etiology (Causes). It always good to have a good grasp on the causes so you can talk about them and to show that medication side effects is one of the contributing factors.

Blood is meant to flow and if it becomes stagnant there is potential for clots to form. The blood in veins is constantly forming microscopic clots that are routinely broken down. If the balance of clot formation and clot resolution is altered, significant clotting may occur. A thrombus can form if one, or a combination of the following situations is present.

Immobility

1. Prolonged travel and sitting, such as long airplane flights ("economy class syndrome"), car, or train travel

2. Hospitalization

3. Surgery

4. Trauma to the lower leg with or without surgery or casting

5.  Pregnancy including 6-8 weeks post partum

6. Obesity

Hypercoagulability (coagulation of blood faster than usual)

1. Medication side effects (ie. birth control pills, estrogen)

2. Smoking

3. Genetic predisposition

4. Polycythemia (inc. # of red blood cells)

5. Cancer

Trauma to the vein

1. Bruises

2. Fractures

3. Complications of an invasive procedure of the vein