Venous stasis, or venostasis, is a condition of slow blood flow in the , usually of the legs.
Presentation
Complications
Potential complications of venous stasis are:
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Blood clot formation in veins (venous thrombosis), that can occur in the deep veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis, DVT) or in the superficial veins
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Causes
Causes
of venous stasis include:
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Obesity
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Pregnancy
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Previous damage to leg
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Blood clot
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Smoking
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Swelling and inflammation of a vein close to the skin
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Congestive heart failure.
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Long periods of immobility that can be encountered from driving,
flying, bed rest/hospitalization, or having an orthopedic cast. Recommendations by clinicians to reduce venous stasis and DVT/PE often encourage increasing walking, calf exercises, and intermittent pneumatic compression when possible.
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Weakened Venous valves: these are crucial towards ensuring upward flow to the heart from the lower extremities. If weakened, they may fail to close properly which leads to backwards blood flow/blood pooling. This can lead to slower blood flow in the veins.
Ultrasonography-Doppler ultrasound
See also