Did I just kill my Grandma?
It’s past midnight and I am anxiously awaiting word on my
grandma’s condition. A call came to our house shortly after 11pm, when you are
well past 40 years of age any call after 9pm is never good. My grandmother was complaining
of high blood pressure, 200/90 and profuse sweating. We all agreed that a trip to the ER was in
order.
I am particularly concerned for several reasons: Obviously
she is my grandmother; I love her very much, my grandmother is not a
complainer, and lastly I treated her foot
and calf this morning and my hypochondriac tendencies are leading me to think that I may have dislodged a blood clot. I
made sure that her ER docs were aware of this as a part of her subjective
history.
During treatment she showed no sign of a Deep Vein Thrombosis, DVT nor does she have any of the risk factors predisposing her to developing
one. Upon my research on the internet, I was informed me that 17% of people over
the age of 80 who develop DVT’s do not show signs or symptoms of blood clots.
Symptoms of a DVT are:
- Swelling in one or both legs
- Pain or tenderness in one or both legs, which may occur only while standing or walking
- Warmth in the skin of the affected leg
- Red or discolored skin in the affected leg
- Visible surface veins
- Leg fatigue
Symptoms of embolus are:
- Sudden coughing, which may bring up blood
- Sharp chest pain
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- Severe
- Also important to note that pulmonary embolism are often asymptomatic.
Thankfully all tests including CT scan were negative. As a therapist who specializing in treating
the foot it was important for me to learn of the asymptomatic incidence of DVT
in seniors. Going forward I will let my senior patients know of this and be
sure to monitor for any symptoms of an embolus.
On the positive side, my grandmother reported that her foot
and knee felt great after her treatment and her balance and walking were
improved.
