Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T13:17:15.687Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolism following minor trauma to the popliteal fossa: could this have been avoided?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2015

Jason Orlik*
Affiliation:
UBC Okanagan Family Medicine Program, Kelowna, BC
Jennifer McVey
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
*
Family Medicine Residency Office, 2268 Pandosy Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 1T2; [email protected]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with subsequent pulmonary embolus (PE) is frequently fatal if untreated. Athletes may be susceptible to DVT following minor blunt trauma to the popliteal fossa. We report an adult male hockey player with no “classic” risk factors for DVT who presented with a DVT and bilateral PE following minor popliteal blunt trauma. This case report illustrates the utility of likelihood ratios when interpreting the results of diagnostic tests such as Doppler ultrasonography.

Type
Case Report • Rapport de cas
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2011

References

REFERENCES

1.White, RH. The epidemiology of venous thromboembolism. Circulation 2003;107(23 Suppl):14–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Scarvelis, D, Wells, PS. Diagnosis and treatment of deep-vein thrombosis. CMAJ 2006;175:1087–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Kearon, C. Natural history of venous thromboembolism. Circulation 2003;107(23 Suppl):122–30.Google Scholar
4.Fox, JC, Otarodifard, K, Deavers, M. Diagnostic and therapeutic keys to deep vein thrombosis. Emerg Med 2006;38:1420.Google Scholar
5.Anderson, DR, Wells, PS, Stiell, I, et al. Thrombosis in the emergency department: use of a clinical diagnosis model to safely avoid the need for urgent radiological investigation. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:477–82.Google Scholar
6.Echlin, PS, Upshur, REG, McKeag, DB, et al. Traumatic deep vein thrombosis in a soccer player: a case study. Thromb J 2004;2:15.Google Scholar
7.Wells, PS, Owen, C, Doucette, S, et al. Does this patient have deep vein thrombosis? JAMA 2006;295:199207.Google Scholar
8.Jaeschke, R, Guyatt, GH, Sackett, DL. Users’ guides to the medical literature III. How to use an article about a diagnostic test B. What are the results and will they help me care for my patients? JAMA 1994;271:703–7.Google Scholar
9.Goodacre, S, Sampson, F, Thomas, S, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for deep vein thrombosis. BMC Med Imaging 2005;5:6.Google Scholar
10.Schwartz, A. Diagnostic test calculator. 2007. Available at: http//araw.mede.uic.edu/cgi-bin/testcalc.pl (accessed Feb 21, 2011).Google Scholar
11.Heijboer, H, Buller, HR, Lensing, A, et al. A comparison of real-time compression ultrasonography with impedance plethysmography for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in symptomatic outpatients. N Engl J Med 1993;329:1365–9.Google Scholar
12.Schwartz, T, Schmidt, B, Schmidt, B, et al. Interobserver agreement of complete compression ultrasound for clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2002;8:45–9.Google Scholar
13.Hull, RD, Raskob, GE, Brant, RF, et al. Relation between the time to achieve the lower limit of the APTT therapeutic range and recurrent venous thromboembolism during heparin treatment for deep vein thrombosis. Arch Intern Med 1997;157:2562–8.Google Scholar
14.Chagnon, I, Bounameux, H, Aujesky, D, et al. Comparison of two clinical prediction rules and implicit among patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. Am J Med 2002;113:269–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Anderson, FA, Spencer, FA. Risk factors for venous thromboembolism. Circulation 2003;107(23 Suppl):19–16.Google Scholar