Blood Clots, DVTs, and the Use of T.E.D. Hose By Manuel A. Gallegos, RN, BSN & Patty Stottlemyer RN

OBJECTIVES Know difference between veins and arteries Effects of walking on veins in the legs Define blood clot Know what is a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Know signs and symptoms of a DVT Know what T.E.D. hose stands for and when to apply them Know how to maintain TED hose

Blood Flow: Heart, Arteries and Veins 3

Walking - Muscles Contract When walking , your muscles contract, putting pressure on the veins Pushing venous blood flow from the feet, into the calves, into the thighs, and back to the heart When clients are just sitting all day, the muscles are not putting pressure on the veins Blood is not getting pushed back to the heart like when the muscles contract with walking

Walking - muscles Contract As a result, the blood just sits (pools) in the lower legs, especially in the sitting position The pooling of blood can cause clots to form, especially after hip, or other leg bone surgery If the clots break off from the vein, they can travel up to the heart and out to the arteries of the lungs This can block blood flow to the lung, the person can stop breathing, and possibly die

Blood Flow / Blood Clots

What is a Deep Vein Thrombosis Deep vein thrombosis (Throm-BO-sis), or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body The loose clot is called an embolus (EM-bo-lus) Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh can cause pain, swelling, or warmth in the leg

Deep Vein Thrombosis

What you may see in a DVT

What are TED Hose? Elastic, tight-fitting stockings that keep mild pressure on the feet and legs Goal: To prevent blood from “pooling” in lower legs and forming blood clots To prevent fluid from accumulating in feet and ankles in patients with heart problems – Called swelling or edema

TED Hose: Thrombo-Embolic Deterrent Hose Thrombo = Blood Clot Embolic = Clogging vein Pressure stockings that squeeze blood back to the heart Goal: To prevent blood clots in the legs

Squeezes Blood in the leg veins back to the heart TED Hose: Squeezes Blood in the leg veins back to the heart

Who wears TED Hose? 1. Patients inactive after surgery, especially hip and leg bone surgery 2. Patients with poor venous (vein) circulation 3. Patients with foot and leg edema 4. Heart problems

What Caregivers should know about TED Hose Some people wear TED hose only during the day when out of bed, then take off at night Some clients will wear both day and night Take them off for at least one hour a day Keep TED Hose clean, change if wet or soiled

TED Hose Care Launder/wash frequently Cold or warm wash or hand wash Bleaching TED hose is not recommended

Summary 1.Thrombus means Blood Clot 2. A D.V.T. stands for ____ _____ ______ 3. The symptoms of DVT are: p_ _ n, swe_ _ing, and w_r_t_ to leg 4. T.E.D. stands for T____-E_____ Deterrent 5. T.E.D. hose can be hand washed, No bleach