DVT (blood clots) and Pulmonary Embolism

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that often begins in your leg, and moves its way up to your lungs and blocks blood vessels. It can damage the lungs and other organs that could lead to heart failure, due to lack of oxygen in the blood.

Although DVT can happen for no apparent reason it’s generally linked to people being immobile for a long period of time like passengers on long haul flights or being bedridden. Pregnant women are also at risk from DVT, and it has been linked in some cases with women who take the contraceptive pill. People who have suffered heart failure or cancer are also at risk from DVT as well.

Deep vein thrombosis can cause pulmonary embolism which is a blockage in the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery carries blood from the heart and the lungs and can be life threatening as it prevents blood reaching your heart and lungs.

Delay in diagnosis

A delay in a person being diagnosed with DVT who later goes on to develop a pulmonary embolism can mean serious problems, as it can lead to heart and lung damage if not identified, meaning serious consequences for the future of a person’s health.

A delay in diagnosis could cause them to suffer unnecessary future pain that could have been avoided if DVT had been diagnosed earlier. Not only that, but if DVT leads to a pulmonary embolism, this can be fatal for the patient.

If a patient is also not receiving sufficient medical treatment for DVT, like being prescribed blood thinners, they may also suffer from a pulmonary embolism.

Making a claim

If you have suffered a pulmonary embolism or a family member has died due to a pulmonary embolism you may be able to make a claim for medical negligence compensation. By delaying a diagnosis or receiving poor medical treatment, this can have a serious physical, psychological, and financial effect on both the person or family members.

Physically, a person could suffer heart and lung problems which means that they may not be able to carry on living a normal life. Psychologically, the victim would have to deal with the emotional struggle of heart or lung failure. If a person dies from a pulmonary embolism then the family is going to have to come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

Financially, the sufferer of a pulmonary embolism may not be able to attend work for a long period of time, or may not be able to return to work at all; suffering a loss of earnings.

All of these things can be claimed for if it can be proven that a medical practitioner was negligent.

How, we can help!

If you have had a delayed diagnosis of DVT that has led to a pulmonary embolism due to a medical practitioners negligence, we can help. We specialise in medical negligence claims and are able to help you. If you think you have been a victim of medical negligence we urge you to contact us and we can advise you on whether you have a claim.