Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) refers to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT is characterised by the production of thrombi in deep veins, most commonly the major veins of the legs or pelvis. PE occurs when thrombi dislodge from venous clots and move from the heart to the pulmonary arteries. Sudden death is the presenting symptom of PE in many people. VTE can be classified as either provoked or unprovoked. This classification affects the likelihood of recurrent VTE and the length of anticoagulant medication. Primary care physicians must have a thorough understanding of the aetiology and causes of thrombosis in order to develop evidence-based therapeutic and preventive patient care programmes that sufficiently prevent recurrent VTE.
Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is the clinical term for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE may affect up to 900,000 people in the United States each year, with up to 100,000 dying as a result. 1 VTE risk increases with age, with those 70 and older accounting for 60% of all VTE incidents. The overall incidence of VTE in the general population is 1 to 2 per 1000 person-years, but it jumps to 8 per 1000 person-years in those over the age of 85.
