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- Thrombosis refers to the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Normal clotting is necessary to stop the bleeding if a blood vessel is injured. Clots are formed through a cascade of chemicals and cellular interactions.
- The major components are red blood cells, fibrin, white blood cells, and platelets (tiny particles that promote clotting). The clots remain attached to the blood vessel wall, and are reduced only if there is a heavy enough flow of blood to tighten the wall. The clot can also break free and travel to other parts of the body, once again tightening the flow of blood.
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- Immobility for long periods of time (prolonged bed rest)
- Standing in one place for a long period of time
- Sitting in one place for long periods (planes or automobile trips)
- Tight fitting clothing and Varicose Veins
- Disorders that increase the stickiness of the blood and may interfere with anti-clotting mechanisms of the body:
- Disorders such as polycythemia, cancer, liver disease, sickle cell disease and infections, Evans syndrome (combination of Coombs positive hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenia)
- Genetic abnormalities such as protein C deficiency (normally has an anti-clotting effect in the body), protein S deficiency (normally works with protein C as a cofactor to keep blood from clotting), factor V deficiency (e.g., leiden factor also known as APS resistance)
- Gene mutations may point the way to the actual causes of thrombosis.
- The recent discoveries of the mutation in the gene for prothrombin are involved in the normal clotting mechanisms.
- Anti-thrombin III deficiencies are rare, but if they are present, can lead to the clotting of blood throughout the body.
- Heparin, Warfarin, aspirin, Ticlid, and Plavix are all used to thin the blood and prevent clotting.
- t-PA and streptokinase can destroy the clots that are already there.
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