BIOL 304 Week 4 Discussion
Fifty-five-year-old Shawn is getting ready for a 10 hour long overseas flight. His cousin Amy, a nurse, explained that deep vein thrombosis is caused by sitting still for many hours as blood may pool and form clots in the legs. In addition, dehydration and low oxygen levels on the plane may increase clotting.
You just learned about veins and blood flow. Explain what is happening there and what should Shawn do to “survive” the flight?
- Deep vein thrombosis or DVT occurs when a thrombus or blood clot develops in veins deep in your body because your veins are injured or the blood flowing through them is too sluggish. The blood clots may partially or completely block blood flow through the vein. Most DVTs happen in your lower leg, thigh or pelvis, but they also can occur in other parts of your body including your arm, brain, intestines, liver or kidney. DVT becomes more likely if you have one or more of these risk factors: Being sedentary due to bed rest or sitting too long without moving, such as during travel. Family history of blood clots. Having a long-term catheter, a tube in a blood vessel. For this long flight, I personally would suggest Shawn not to fly. But, if he has to make it I would recommend him to stay hydrated and to avoid alcoholic beverages as this dehydrates you and increases your risk of DVT. Wear compression socks because it helps to compress the veins in your leg and improve circulation, which can reduce your risk of developing a blood clot that could cause a pulmonary embolism. And, walk around the plane in order to stretch your legs to help improve blood circulation.
Reference:
Gavish, I., & Brenner, B. (2011). Air travel and the risk of thromboembolism. Internal and emergency medicine, 6(2), 113–116. Retrieved on September 10, 2022, from
Center of Disease Control and Prevention (June 9, 2022) Venous thromboembolism (Blood clot). Retrieved on September 10, 2022, from
Class,
To understand the condition Shawn is trying to avoid, we must first understand what thrombosis is. Thrombosis is the formation of unwanted blood clots which could be fatal. This is usually the result of thrombocytosis which is a condition when there are excessive platelets. Thrombi, a collection of platelets, are typically caused by vessel damage to the endothelial lining that activates clotting. A cause of this could be a venous stasis from Shawn’s legs being locked and pinched on the airplane seat for an extended period of time. Airplane rides are notorious for causing deep vein thrombosis (OpenStax College, 2013, P. 762).Shawn should be cognizant of how long he is sitting still at one time and should take every opportunity to get up and walk down the aisles at least to the restrooms and back to regulate blood flow in his legs.
—Frank
References
OpenStax College. (2013, June). Anatomy and Physiology. Retrieved from Connections Web site http://cnx.org/content/col11487/latest/
According to the CDC, Shawn is at risk for deep vein thrombosis or DVT. DVT is when a blood clot is formed in at least one of the veins in the body, with the legs being the most common area(Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – Symptoms and causes, 2022). DVT are most commonly caused by sitting or laying in the same position but the risk can be increased from other diseases. Additionally being on a long flight increases Shawn’s odds of being dehydrated which causes his blood vessels to constrict and his blood to thicken(Understand Your Risk for Excessive Blood Clotting, n.d.). The decreased oxygen levels on a plane can also cause hypoxia which decreases the levels of Protein S, which is a natural anticoagulant resulting in an increased risk for DVT(Capo, 2019). The main ways Shawn can help prevent a DVT is to make sure he is well hydrated throughout the flight and tries to walk around the plane throughout the flight.
References
Capo, L. (2019). LSU Health Research Discovers New Link between Hypoxia and Blood Clot Risk. LSU Health. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – Symptoms and causes. (2022, June 11). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from
Understand Your Risk for Excessive Blood Clotting. (n.d.). American Heart Association. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from
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