Understanding Venous Thromboembolism Risks

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and potentially fatal condition. It involves blood

clots (thrombi) developing in the circulation. This usually occurs secondary to stagnation

of blood and hyper-coagulable states. When a thrombus develops in the venous circulation,

it is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Once a thrombus has developed,

it can travel (embolise) from the deep veins, through the right side of the heart and into the lungs,

where it becomes lodged in the pulmonary arteries. This blocks blood flow to areas of

the lungs and is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). If the patient has a hole in their

heart (for example, an atrial septal defect), the blood clot can pass through to