DVT
Medical abbreviation · Cardiology
| Stands for | Deep vein thrombosis |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
DVT stands for Deep vein thrombosis, a cardiology abbreviation.
Blood clot in a deep vein, most often in the leg or pelvis, that can break off and travel to the lungs as a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms include one-sided leg swelling, pain and warmth, though many cases are silent; compression ultrasound is the standard test.
Example: Left calf swelling after knee replacement; duplex positive for DVT in the popliteal vein, apixaban started.
Usage notes
Risk follows Virchow's triad, described by the 19th-century pathologist Rudolf Virchow: blood stasis, vessel wall injury and hypercoagulability. Common triggers include surgery, immobility, long flights, cancer, pregnancy and estrogen therapy. The Wells score and a D-dimer test guide who needs imaging. DVT and pulmonary embolism together are called venous thromboembolism (VTE), and "DVT prophylaxis" with heparin or compression devices is a routine hospital order.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- DAPT – Dual antiplatelet therapy
- DBP – Diastolic blood pressure
- DCCV – Direct current cardioversion
- DCM – Dilated cardiomyopathy
- DES – Drug-eluting stent
- DSE – Dobutamine stress echocardiogram
- ECG – Electrocardiogram
- echo – Echocardiogram
- ECMO – Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- EF – Ejection fraction
- EKG – Electrocardiogram
- EP – Electrophysiology
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.