The occurrence of deep venous thrombosis or chronic venous insufficiency could have adverse effects on the patient. As a result, it is important that advanced practice nurses develop effective measures of recognizing clinical manifestations of diseases and imbalance in the anatomy of a human being. It is also important to identify significant differences that are presented in the symptoms of a disease so as to accurately diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment options. There are numerous health issues that may arise in the body’s circulatory system and may be present symptoms that are particularly similar. In this regard, the following paper will discuss at length pathophysiology of deep venous thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency along with the gender factors associated with the diseases to effectively identify differences and providing a mind map of each disorder.
Epidemiology
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a disorder that occurs in the formation of a blood clot often referred to as a thrombus within a deep vein. The incidence of the thrombus is usually found within the legs (Saha et al., 2011). In many of the cases found, the DVT may pose a major threat to the life of the individual affected. In the deep vein thrombosis, the health concern may cause swelling of the leg and unbearable pain to the individual (McPhee, & Hammer, 2010). Nevertheless, this disease may take place without significant symptoms of identifying the issue. DVT may occur due to the incidence of various medical conditions that affect how the blood clots in the individual. It is also common that the thrombus may begin to form due to little or no mobility of the limbs for a long duration (Saha et al., 2011). In this case, bed rest taken by patients after surgery or an accident may lead to the development and incidence of the disease. The danger posed by the disease is critical to the life of the affected individual resulting in the blood clots traveling through the bloodstream and lodging in the lungs of the affected patient also known as pulmonary embolism.
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It is well known that arteries carry the blood from the heart to the rest of the body while the veins carry it back to the heart. The valves present in the veins ensure that the blood does not flow backward. Therefore, venous insufficiency occurs when the veins are unable to send blood from the limbs and back to the heart (Saha et al., 2011). It is a critical health condition where the blood cannot flow back properly back to the heart leading to the pooling of blood inside the veins located in the legs (McPhee, & Hammer, 2010). While there are numerous factors that may lead to venous insufficiency, it is noted that blood clots arising from deep venous thrombosis is one of the major factors causing this disease. Additionally, it is also evident that varicose veins may lead to the development of the disease. In this occurrence, the varicoses or varicosities occur when the veins dilate and become overfilled with blood (Saha et al., 2011). They usually appear bluish-purple or red color as they have become enlarged and very painful for the patient.
Pathophysiology
The incidence of DVT usually develops from the calf veins and begins to grow in the direction of the venous flow. In this case, as the veins return the blood to the heart from the legs, blood should flow upward from the soles of our feet to the heart. The calf muscles and other muscles located in the legs are required to contract appropriately to squeeze the veins and push the blood upwards (Huether, & McCance, 2012). This becomes a tasking job when blood clots in one of the veins. The spaces between the deep veins is usually not enough to effectively allow passage of the blood in these veins as it becomes extremely difficult for it to flow back to the heart (Iorio et al., 2010). The veins in the calf or the thigh are the most commonly affected resulting in significant growth in the swelling from the lower leg to the thigh region. If the pain is not attended to, it may pose a major threat to the life of the victim in question.
Clinical Presentation
Gender is an issue of critical concern in the presentation of these diseases. It is evident that women more than men may be affected by both deep venous thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency (Huether, & McCance, 2012). This is the case due to the fact that some of the major risk factors of DVT include pregnancy, period after giving birth, and hormone therapy. During pregnancy, it is evident that a lot of pressure is increased on the veins in the pelvis and the legs. This incidence may increase the probability of developing the disease. It is also noted that women who have inherited the clotting disorder are particularly at risk. This threat may continue well on after pregnancy for up to six weeks (Huether, & McCance, 2012). The levels of female hormone estrogen significantly rise during this period and may cause the blood to clot easily. In the same way, hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills may influence the incidence of DVT or chronic venous insufficiency (Iorio et al., 2010). In this case, the prescribed medication available contains high levels of estrogen making the blood more susceptible to the formation of blood clots.
Summary
The above report shows a clear resemblance in the presentation of deep venous thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency. It is evident that the incidence of the former may lead to the development of the latter. In this regard, advanced practice nurses should take greater care in identifying the presenting problem to provide the most appropriate course of action. The concern for gender on this issue also shows its significant impact on the patients. More women are likely to develop the health conditions as opposed to men. In this regard, the health practitioners should take keen consideration of monitoring female and pregnant patients to alleviate the incidence of the problem.
References
Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2012). Understanding pathophysiology (Laureate custom ed.) . St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Iorio, A., Kearon, C., Filippucci, E., Marcucci, M., Macura, A., Pengo, V., ... & Palareti, G. (2010). Risk of recurrence after a first episode of symptomatic venous thromboembolism provoked by a transient risk factor: a systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine , 170(19), 1710-1716.
McPhee, S. J., & Hammer, G. D. (2010). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.) . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Medical
Saha, P., Humphries, J., Modarai, B., Mattock, K., Waltham, M., Evans, C. E., ... & Smith, A. (2011). Leukocytes and the natural history of deep vein thrombosis. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , 31(3), 506-512.
