Blood clots can be dangerous depending on where they are. These clots, which are semisolid lumps of blood, are necessary in some cases. They stop you from losing too much blood after a serious laceration or injury, but they can also block arteries or cause other serious problems in the body.
When blood clots form in your veins, they don’t always have the opportunity to dissolve. This may result in a life-threatening situation. While many clots are immobile, some may break free and travel to the heart or lungs. If that happens, the clots could block blood flow and cause a medical emergency.
Should medical providers recognize the signs of blood clots?
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if you have a blood clot. You may not have any symptoms at first. If you do develop symptoms, this is when your medical provider should start taking notice. For example, if your leg becomes swollen suddenly, then your medical provider should examine it for obvious causes and determine if a blood clot could be a cause.
When blood clots travel and cause problems in the body, they should be more readily identifiable. For example, a blood clot in the stomach may cause severe abdominal pain. In the heart, it may cause a heart attack. In the chest and lungs, you may have trouble breathing. All of these symptoms are serious, and your medical provider should order tests to find out the underlying cause of them.
Are there risk factors to be aware of?
Yes, there are some risk factors, such as your age, if you’ve been on bed rest, obesity and a family history of blood clots. These and other common factors should be considered if you’re showing signs of a blood clot.
You may have a case if you were misdiagnosed or did not receive a diagnosis
If your medical provider doesn’t take your symptoms seriously and misses a clot that goes on to cause a serious injury or death, then they could be held accountable. Medical providers have a responsibility to their patients, and making medical or diagnostic mistakes when other providers would have identified the problem is unacceptable under most circumstances.