DON'T LET IGNORANCE KILL YOU
Before the death of an NBC news correspondent in Iraq in 2003, approximately 75% of Americans knew very little about deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).
WHAT IS DVT?
DVT is a common but dangerous condition in which a blood clot forms in a large vein, usually in your leg, partially or completely blocking circulation. If the clot breaks free and travels through your bloodstream, it can reach your lungs and block a blood vessel. This blockage is called a pulmonary embolism (PE) and can be fatal within hours.
DVT STATISTICS
. Over 2 million Americans suffer DVT each year.
. 600,000 of these lead to a hazardous lung blood vessel blockage.
. 300,000 are fatal.
. More people suffer from DVT annually than heart attack and stroke.
. There are more fatalities due to DVT than due to AIDS and Breast Cancer COMBINED
. This may be the most common preventable cause of hospital death in the U.S.