venous thromboembolism

A venous thromboembolism is a blood clot that happens in the vein.

Clots that form in veins can lead to increased hospitalization, and prolonged medication treatment
Most significantly, clots can travel through the blood stream and become lodged in other organs such as the lungs, and rarely the brain leading to very significant medical complications

Pre-teens and teens have risk factors similar to adults. Being overweight, inactive, smoking, using certain medications such as birth control, and certain medical conditions put patients at risk for developing clots
In kids, having central lines, such as a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line is a significant risk factor for developing clots

We actively screen our patients for risk factors
For patients at risk, we encourage walking, use devices that squeeze the calves, or sometimes use medications to reduce the risk of clots
We are engaged in the work with Solutions for Patient Safety trying to understand why children develop clots with IVs and what the best steps are to prevent them. By sharing with other hospitals in the network, we can accelerate our learning and find solutions faster