Blood Clot in Leg; Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

What Will Happen If I Have a Blood Clot In My Leg?

There are many scenarios in which you might have a blood clot in your limb, if you are already admitted to the hospital, then your doctors will detect it early and start treatment at once. The main treatment would consist of anticoagulants. Anticoagulants are certain medications that help the body’s innate system of anticoagulation by preventing the blood clot from increasing in size.

If you are not in a hospital, detection of the blood clot can be delayed. When you present to your doctor and after confirming the diagnosis you will decide whether you need hospitalization or discharge with anticoagulants.

Several options exist for anticoagulation including:

• Heparin: Heparin was the main anticoagulant. It is only given by injection whether under the skin or intravenously. In both cases, it has a high risk of complications including bleeding, which made controlling its level difficult.
• Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH): Low molecular weight heparin is now the mainstay of hospital anticoagulation. It consists of daily subcutaneous injections (under the skin). It has fewer side effects than heparin, and the risk of bleeding is less.
• Warfarin: Warfarin was the first oral anticoagulant that acts by antagonizing vitamin K, decreasing the formation of certain coagulation factors. Warfarin takes a few days to work and therefore should be started with another faster medication such as heparin, then continued after heparin is stopped. It should also be followed with strict monitoring using a lab test called INR.
• New Oral Anticoagulants: New oral anticoagulants or NOACs are new oral medications that act in a way similar to warfarin, but they target a specific coagulation factor. This causes increased efficacy with decreased risk of side effects. They are now the new norm in patients treated for many diseases including deep venous thrombosis.

Anticoagulation is continued for at least 6 months, and if this episode is not your first, then up to one year is needed.

After the episode, it is better to remain mobile and to wear compression stockings to decrease the risk of recurrence, which is associated with a worse outcome.