OTHER CAUSES OF THROMBOPHILIA • Poor blood flow can cause blood clots. Children also can be at risk for a blood clot if they have to stay in bed for long periods of time. • Diseases that result in an unusual structure or function of the blood vessels can cause blood clots. • Sometimes a combination of disorders, such as an acute or chronic illness, a severe infection, cancer, heart defects, or immune disorders, can lead to the development of a blood clot. • Birth control pills, patches, or rings that contain estrogen increase the risk of blood clots. Children and adolescents most likely to develop a clot include those who • have a venous catheter (a thin tube inserted in a vein), such as a peripherally inserted central catheter, an implanted port, a Broviac® line, or an umbilical venous catheter in a newborn baby
• have medical conditions such as infection, obesity, cancer, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), sickle cell anemia, leukemia or have recently had surgery or trauma • have been in bed for long periods of time • are receiving estrogen therapy At times the healthcare team may not know why a blood clot has developed. WHAT ARE SOME COMPLICATIONS OF THROMBOPHILIA? • Clots in the deep veins of the body can break loose and travel to the lungs, where they can make breathing difficult, damage the lungs, and cause complications. • Clots in the arteries can break loose, travel to the brain, and cause a stroke.
• Clots in the kidney can cause high blood pressure. • Clots in the liver veins can cause the spleen to enlarge.
WHAT TESTS AND PROCEDURES WILL MY CHILD NEED? The tests that your child will need depend on the location of the clot and the reason it occurred. Your child’s symptoms will help the healthcare team pinpoint where the clot is located • Clots in the leg or arm usually cause painful swelling, redness, and warmth of the extremity. • Blood clots in the brain cause severe and long-lasting headaches, make it hard to walk, talk or understand, and cause paralysis or numbness of the face, arm, or leg. The headaches usually are worse in the morning, and the child may complain of blurred vision. • Clots in the lungs can cause shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain that worsens with deep breathing. Clots in the lungs also can cause feelings of anxiety, dizziness, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeats, or palpitations (heart racing). Diagnosing a clot in a child is not necessarily done the same way as it is in adults. Techniques that are used are described below. LABORATORY TESTING A D-dimer test looks for a small protein fragment called D-dimer in blood. D-dimer is made when a blood clot dissolves in your body. As your body heals from an injury, it will work to dissolve any blood clots that have formed in your body. With a blood clotting disorder, clots can form when you don’t have an obvious injury or
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