Tools for Doctor’s Visits

Bringing a written list of questions can help you feel more in control and make sure nothing important gets missed during a short appointment. Consider asking:

• Where is my blood clot located, and is it in a vein or an artery?
• What likely caused this blood clot, and am I at risk for another one?
• What medicine will I take, for how long and what are the side effects?
• Do I need any follow-up tests, imaging or blood work?
• Should my family members be tested for a clotting disorder?
• What symptoms mean I should call you right away versus go to the emergency department?
• Are there activities, medicines or foods I should avoid while on treatment?
• Who do I contact with questions between appointments?

Download the World Thrombosis Day patient questionnaire to bring these questions, and space to record the answers, to your visit.

After a diagnosis, the first thing to understand is whether your clot is in an artery, which carries blood away from the heart, or a vein, which carries blood back to the heart from the legs, arms, abdominal organs and brain.2 Clots in arteries can lead to stroke, a transient ischemic attack (also called a TIA or mini stroke), heart attack and other conditions.

Clots in veins can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), together known as venous thromboembolism (VTE).3 A DVT most often forms in a leg, but it can occur anywhere in the body, including an arm, the abdomen or around the brain. A PE is a potentially life-threatening complication of DVT that happens when part of a clot breaks off, travels through the bloodstream and lodges in the lung.4

A DVT, PE or VTE diagnosis is a lot to process, not just physically but emotionally too. Research shows that people diagnosed with a blood clot commonly experience anxiety in the weeks after diagnosis, and some go on to develop depression or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).5 These reactions are common and understandable. It can help to name what you’re feeling and talk about it openly with your care team.

Thrombophilia testing is a set of blood tests that look for inherited conditions linked to a higher risk of blood clots. Testing typically checks for Factor V Leiden, the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation, and deficiencies in antithrombin, protein C and protein S.6

Not everyone who has had a blood clot needs this testing. Current guidelines generally support testing for people who had a blood clot without an obvious cause (called an unprovoked clot) and who also have a family history of blood clots that occurred before age 50.7 In other situations, whether testing is useful is still debated among experts, since a positive result does not always change treatment and can bring added worry.8 Your doctor can help you decide whether testing makes sense for your situation.