Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is an unusually intense form of DVT that happens in the upper leg. See here.
I'm an LPN, with experience in a wide range of fields, including the ER, ICU and Army.
The reason I didn't reply with this there is that they are somewhat reticient to question the professionalism and competence of another medical professional. I can understand their desire to keep away from politics and finger-pointing - it makes sense - but all of us are people, prone to the same weaknesses as everyone else. Sometimes someone just isn't as aggressive as they could be in diagnosing and treating a condition.
If you do have PCD, then they can treat it by anticoagulant therapy. Heparin, Coumadin, or something else. If it's bad enough, they can use a clotbuster like TPA... but that makes you a hemophiliac for a few days and costs quite a bit. Or in extreme cases, there's surgery, if it begins to threaten the health of a limb. But there are risks involved in such a surgery... you could bump and shatter a clot while you're trying to remove it. So usually it has to be threatening enough that the benefits outweigh the risks.
But that's just from what I've gleaned over the years. I'm a nurse, not a doctor, and definitely not a vascular sugreon. I'm not qualified to diagnose. Just to advise. But to me? This sets of warning lights in my head.
Thank you, I really appreciate your information and I understand why you wouldn't want to post it in the community - I am very grateful to you for taking the time to come to my journal and provide me with some info.
It's hard for me because I do have really bad anxiety (bordering on hypochrondriasis) when it comes to my health so I don't want to go doing a lot of research and frighten myself.
What I'm confused by, is if it is phlegmasia, is that possible when I don't have any clots? That doesn't make sense to me. Also, do you have any advice at all (I couldnt' get any at the hospital because they were so confused by the whole situation) for what I should be doing until I can see my family doctor? Basically I'm just unsure...I was assume I should keep my legs elevated because that prevents them from turning blue and cold...and the way I look at it, anytime a limb is turning blue and cold there is a problem regardless of the cause...but I also don't want to stay off them for too long because inactivity can cause clots.
Thanks again so much for your help, if it would be more conveinant for you please feel free to email instead of commenting here: vicam 7 at hotmail dot com.
You don't have any clots where they dopplered you. They didn't doppler, ultrasound or otherwise scan the rest of your leg, did they? And they did give you that as a diganosis.
Did they run a D-Dimer blood test? That ought to say if there's some major clot in your body somewhere.
And yes, in the mean time, it's best to do anything you can to improve your circulation. Prolonged bad circulation can have cumulatively bad effects.
They venous dopplared my thigh on my right leg, the arterial work done in the vascular flow lab was done on calves and thighs of both legs. But you're right - no diagnosis other than negative for DVT, and no blood test. I see my family physician tomorrow so I will ask for that blood test, but if it's expensive, they may refuse (I'm in Canada so the government pays, not me).
What can I do to improve my circulation. Would that be keeping my foot/feet up? I don't even know that.
I'm an LPN, with experience in a wide range of fields, including the ER, ICU and Army.
The reason I didn't reply with this there is that they are somewhat reticient to question the professionalism and competence of another medical professional. I can understand their desire to keep away from politics and finger-pointing - it makes sense - but all of us are people, prone to the same weaknesses as everyone else. Sometimes someone just isn't as aggressive as they could be in diagnosing and treating a condition.
If you do have PCD, then they can treat it by anticoagulant therapy. Heparin, Coumadin, or something else. If it's bad enough, they can use a clotbuster like TPA... but that makes you a hemophiliac for a few days and costs quite a bit. Or in extreme cases, there's surgery, if it begins to threaten the health of a limb. But there are risks involved in such a surgery... you could bump and shatter a clot while you're trying to remove it. So usually it has to be threatening enough that the benefits outweigh the risks.
But that's just from what I've gleaned over the years. I'm a nurse, not a doctor, and definitely not a vascular sugreon. I'm not qualified to diagnose. Just to advise. But to me? This sets of warning lights in my head.
Reply
It's hard for me because I do have really bad anxiety (bordering on hypochrondriasis) when it comes to my health so I don't want to go doing a lot of research and frighten myself.
What I'm confused by, is if it is phlegmasia, is that possible when I don't have any clots? That doesn't make sense to me. Also, do you have any advice at all (I couldnt' get any at the hospital because they were so confused by the whole situation) for what I should be doing until I can see my family doctor? Basically I'm just unsure...I was assume I should keep my legs elevated because that prevents them from turning blue and cold...and the way I look at it, anytime a limb is turning blue and cold there is a problem regardless of the cause...but I also don't want to stay off them for too long because inactivity can cause clots.
Thanks again so much for your help, if it would be more conveinant for you please feel free to email instead of commenting here: vicam 7 at hotmail dot com.
Reply
Did they run a D-Dimer blood test? That ought to say if there's some major clot in your body somewhere.
And yes, in the mean time, it's best to do anything you can to improve your circulation. Prolonged bad circulation can have cumulatively bad effects.
Reply
What can I do to improve my circulation. Would that be keeping my foot/feet up? I don't even know that.
Thanks again for all your help.
Reply
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