DVT and pulmonary embolism

DVT and pulmonary embolism are named in the same breath, and VTE is the label that covers both. The eleven questions below keep the leg-vein questions apart from the lung questions so each can be read beside its look-alike.

The leg-vein questions

my.clevelandclinic.org describes the first term as "A blood clot, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), developing inside a leg vein." Four questions stay with DVT. What is deep vein thrombosis? opens the set, and What eases DVT symptoms? asks about relief. Can DVT be prevented? is the prevention question. How is DVT treated? covers care.

On the aim of that care, the same publisher writes: "DVT treatment aims to keep the clot from getting bigger or breaking off and lessen the risk of another blood clot."

The lung questions

Six questions are about pulmonary embolism. What is a pulmonary embolism? is the definition. Which symptoms signal a pulmonary embolism?, What causes a pulmonary embolism? and How do doctors diagnose a pulmonary embolism? mirror the leg-vein set. Who faces higher pulmonary embolism risk? and Can a pulmonary embolism be prevented? round it out.

The question that covers both

What raises the likelihood of VTE? is the one question that does not belong to either side alone.

For the source pages behind these terms, my.clevelandclinic.org has a page on deep vein thrombosis and another on venous disease. NHLBI has a page on venous thromboembolism treatment, and MedlinePlus has an encyclopedia entry on blood clots.

The comparison to keep

Ask which organ the question is about. Same-named symptoms, risks and prevention questions appear on both sides, and the organ is what separates them.