Glossary for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Glossary

Ambulatory: Able to ambulate, to walk about

Blood clot: Blood when converted from a liquid to a solid state form a clot. Also called a thrombus.

Cellulitis: It is an acute spreading bacterial infection below the surface of the skin

Coagulation: It is the clotting of blood.

Contraindication: A circumstance that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable.

Embolus: Something that travels through the bloodstream occupies a blood vessel and blocks it. For example a blood clot that detaches from the site of origin.

International normalized ratio: INR is a system for reporting the results of blood coagulation (clotting) tests for patients taking warfarin.

Polycythemia: Characterised by too many red blood cells

Pulmonary embolism: life threatening situation when a piece of this blood clot breaks away (embolus, plural=emboli), moves downstream through the heart into the pulmonary circulation system, and reaches the lung.

Thrombophlebitis: Inflammation of a vein

DVT: Deep Vein Thrombosis

INR: International Normalized Ratio – used for monitoring the dose of warfarin in DVT prophylaxis patients.