Venous Thrommbolism

Correlation Between the Oral Contraceptive and Venous Thrombosis

By Jacob Bruse

MM

9/4/15

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: What is Venous Thromboembolism? (VTE)

Chapter 2: Classifications

Chapter 3: Symptoms

Chapter 4: Causes/ Risk Factors Section 1: Causes Section 2: Risk Factors

Chapter 5: Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill

Chapter 6: Side Effects

Chapter 7: Correlation?

Chapter 8: Conclusion

Chapter 1

There are many side effects to taking the contraceptive pill, a.k.a. the birth control pill. including headache, dizziness, breast tenderness, and mood swings. However one mostly unknown side effect, and a very serious one at that, is venous thromboembolism. There are many studies which either discredit or prove that

It is a common, lethal disorder that recurs frequently, is often overlooked, and results in other long term complications, many of which lead the patient to death or otherwise serious injury. Venous thromboembolism is caused when a blood clot breaks loose or forms freely in the blood and travels throughout the body, clogging arteries or heart valve pressure points. It usually affects the thighs, legs, or arms, and is caused directly by long periods of stillness. For example, long distance flights and patients who are hospitalized for long periods of time are more likely to contract this disease.

The words “venous thromboembolism” is broken apart into two separate words. “Venous”, or having to do with veins, refers to its direct capability of affecting veins, arteries, and other blood vessels. The blood clot will clog up the vein and will require surgery to clear the blockage. The word “thromboembolism” is a term given to the forming of a “thrombus”, the name for the blood clot that forms within the vein. Another term which is used frequently is “thrombosis” which is just another word for the blood clot forming deep inside a blood

It describes the three broad categories of factors that are thought to contribute to thrombosis, or venous thromboembolism: hypercoagulability. hemodynamic changes, and endothelial injury. As described before, hypercoagulability is the tendency to have faster and more advanced blood clotting, and venous stasis is characterized by long periods of stillness, as in airplane flights or long drives.

The third is called endothelial injury. The endothelium is the thin layer of squamous cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, and it is the injury to this which leads to thrombosis. It can be damaged in a number of way, like through surgery or heart disease. Even so, the changes to the vessel wall are the least understood of the three factors of Virchow’s Triad.

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