BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuBlood clotsClot; Emboli; Thrombi; Thromboembolus; Hypercoagulable stateBlood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. A blood clot that forms inside one of your veins or arteries is called a thrombus. A thrombus may also form in your heart. A thrombus that breaks loose and travels from one location in the body to another is called an embolus.EmbolusArterial embolism refers to a clot (embolus) that has come from another part of the body and causes a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A thrombus or embolus can partly or completely block the flow of blood in a blood vessel.A blockage in an artery may prevent oxygen from reaching the tissues in that area. This is called ischemia. If ischemia is not treated promptly, it can lead to tissue damage or death. A blockage in the vein will often cause fluid buildup and swelling in the area where blood is drained by that vein. Causes Situations in which a blood clot is more likely to form in veins include:Being on long-term bed rest Sitting for long periods, such as in a plane or car During and after pregnancy Taking birth control pills or estrogen hormones (especially in women who smoke) Long-term use of an intravenous catheter After surgeryBlood clots are also more likely to form after an injury. People with cancer, obesity, and liver or kidney disease are also prone to blood clots.CancerCancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ObesityObesity means weighing more than what is healthy for a given height. Obesity is a serious, chronic disease. It can lead to other health problems, i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article LiverThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Smoking also increases the risk of forming blood clots.Conditions that are passed down through families (inherited) may make you more likely to form abnormal blood clots. Inherited conditions that affect clotting are:Factor V Leiden mutation Prothrombin G20210A mutationOther rare conditions, such as protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III deficiencies. Protein C, protein SCongenital protein C or S deficiency is a lack of proteins C or S in the fluid part of the blood. The proteins are natural substances that help prev...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Antithrombin III deficienciesCongenital antithrombin III (three) deficiency is a genetic disorder that causes the blood to clot more than normal.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A blood clot may block an artery or vein in an organ, affecting the:Heart (angina or a heart attack) AnginaAngina is a type of chest discomfort or pain due to poor blood flow through the blood vessels (coronary arteries) of the heart muscle (myocardium). ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intestines (mesenteric ischemia or mesenteric venous thrombosis) Mesenteric ischemiaMesenteric artery ischemia occurs when there is a narrowing or blockage of one or more of the three major arteries that supply the small and large in...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Mesenteric venous thrombosisMesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is a blood clot in one or more of the major veins that drain blood from the intestine. The superior mesenteric ve...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Kidneys (renal vein thrombosis) Renal vein thrombosisRenal vein thrombosis is a blood clot that develops in the vein that drains blood from the kidney.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Leg or arm arteries Leg or arm arteriesPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition of the blood vessels that supply the legs and feet. It occurs due to narrowing of the arteries in the...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Legs (deep vein thrombosis) Deep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside a part of the body. DVT mainly affects the large...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Lungs (pulmonary embolism) Pulmonary embolismA pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs. The most common cause of the blockage is a blood clot.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Neck or brain (stroke) StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesAnderson JA, Weitz JI. Hypercoagulable states. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 138.Cross SS. Ischaemia, infarction and shock . In: Cross SS, ed. Underwood's Pathology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 7.Schafer AI. Approach to the patient with bleeding or thrombosis: hypercoagulable states. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 157.AllVideoImagesTogThrombus - illustration A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains there. An embolism is a clot that travels from the site where it formed to another location in the body. Thrombi or emboli can lodge in a blood vessel and block the flow of blood in that location depriving tissues of normal blood flow and oxygen. This can result in damage, destruction (infarction), or even death of the tissues (necrosis) in that area.ThrombusillustrationDeep venous thrombosis - iliofemoral - illustration This picture shows a red and swollen thigh and leg caused by a blood clot (thrombus) in the deep veins in the groin (iliofemoral veins) which prevents normal return of blood from the leg to the heart.Deep venous thrombosis - iliofemoralillustrationThrombus - illustration A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains there. An embolism is a clot that travels from the site where it formed to another location in the body. Thrombi or emboli can lodge in a blood vessel and block the flow of blood in that location depriving tissues of normal blood flow and oxygen. This can result in damage, destruction (infarction), or even death of the tissues (necrosis) in that area.ThrombusillustrationDeep venous thrombosis - iliofemoral - illustration This picture shows a red and swollen thigh and leg caused by a blood clot (thrombus) in the deep veins in the groin (iliofemoral veins) which prevents normal return of blood from the leg to the heart.Deep venous thrombosis - iliofemoralillustrationSelf Care Antiplatelet medicines - P2Y12 inhibitorsTaking warfarinAspirin and heart diseaseStroke risk factors Tests for Blood clots Blood smearD-dimer testProtein C blood testProtein S blood testFibrin degradation products blood testAntithrombin III blood testRelated Information Atherosclerosis(Condition)Arterial embolism(Condition)Pulmonary embolus(Condition)Deep vein thrombosis(Condition)Renal vein thrombosis(Condition)Atheroembolic renal disease(Condition)Thrombophlebitis(Condition)Stroke(Condition)Heart attack(Condition)Angina(Condition)Taking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) - what to ask your doctor(Doctor Questions)Taking warfarin(Self-Care)Deep vein thrombosis - discharge(Discharge)Stroke - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart attack and acute coronary syndrome - InDepth(In-Depth)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 6/17/2024 Reviewed By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Blood clotsClot; Emboli; Thrombi; Thromboembolus; Hypercoagulable stateBlood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. A blood clot that forms inside one of your veins or arteries is called a thrombus. A thrombus may also form in your heart. A thrombus that breaks loose and travels from one location in the body to another is called an embolus.EmbolusArterial embolism refers to a clot (embolus) that has come from another part of the body and causes a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ o...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A thrombus or embolus can partly or completely block the flow of blood in a blood vessel.A blockage in an artery may prevent oxygen from reaching the tissues in that area. This is called ischemia. If ischemia is not treated promptly, it can lead to tissue damage or death. A blockage in the vein will often cause fluid buildup and swelling in the area where blood is drained by that vein. Causes Situations in which a blood clot is more likely to form in veins include:Being on long-term bed rest Sitting for long periods, such as in a plane or car During and after pregnancy Taking birth control pills or estrogen hormones (especially in women who smoke) Long-term use of an intravenous catheter After surgeryBlood clots are also more likely to form after an injury. People with cancer, obesity, and liver or kidney disease are also prone to blood clots.CancerCancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ObesityObesity means weighing more than what is healthy for a given height. Obesity is a serious, chronic disease. It can lead to other health problems, i...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article LiverThe term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Smoking also increases the risk of forming blood clots.Conditions that are passed down through families (inherited) may make you more likely to form abnormal blood clots. Inherited conditions that affect clotting are:Factor V Leiden mutation Prothrombin G20210A mutationOther rare conditions, such as protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III deficiencies. Protein C, protein SCongenital protein C or S deficiency is a lack of proteins C or S in the fluid part of the blood. The proteins are natural substances that help prev...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Antithrombin III deficienciesCongenital antithrombin III (three) deficiency is a genetic disorder that causes the blood to clot more than normal.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A blood clot may block an artery or vein in an organ, affecting the:Heart (angina or a heart attack) AnginaAngina is a type of chest discomfort or pain due to poor blood flow through the blood vessels (coronary arteries) of the heart muscle (myocardium). ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intestines (mesenteric ischemia or mesenteric venous thrombosis) Mesenteric ischemiaMesenteric artery ischemia occurs when there is a narrowing or blockage of one or more of the three major arteries that supply the small and large in...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Mesenteric venous thrombosisMesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is a blood clot in one or more of the major veins that drain blood from the intestine. The superior mesenteric ve...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Kidneys (renal vein thrombosis) Renal vein thrombosisRenal vein thrombosis is a blood clot that develops in the vein that drains blood from the kidney.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Leg or arm arteries Leg or arm arteriesPeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition of the blood vessels that supply the legs and feet. It occurs due to narrowing of the arteries in the...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Legs (deep vein thrombosis) Deep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside a part of the body. DVT mainly affects the large...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Lungs (pulmonary embolism) Pulmonary embolismA pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs. The most common cause of the blockage is a blood clot.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Neck or brain (stroke) StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesAnderson JA, Weitz JI. Hypercoagulable states. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 138.Cross SS. Ischaemia, infarction and shock . In: Cross SS, ed. Underwood's Pathology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 7.Schafer AI. Approach to the patient with bleeding or thrombosis: hypercoagulable states. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 157.
