Phlebitis
Phlebitis is an inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs.
When phlebitis is associated with the formation of blood clots (thrombosis), usually in the deep veins of the legs, the condition is called thrombophlebitis. These clots can travel to the lungs, causing pulmonary embolisms that can be fatal.
Etiology
Vasculitis:
- Bacterial: Pathogenic organisms can gain access and stimulate inflammation.
- Chemical: caused by irritating or vesicant solutions.
- Mechanical: physical trauma from the skin puncture and movement of the cannula into the vein during insertion; any subsequent manipulation and movement of the cannula; clotting; or excessively large cannula.
- Medications including celecoxib, olanzapine, antidepressants, and others.
- Genetic as it is known to run in families.
- Alcohol abuse
Signs and symptoms
- Redness (erythema) and warmth with a temperature elevation of a degree or more above the baseline
- Pain or burning along the length of the vein
- Swelling (edema)
- Vein being hard, and cord-like
- If occurring due to an intravenous infusion line, then slowed infusion rate
Massage
- This condition is considered a contraindication; therefore, no massage should be conducted as the nature of massage manipulations risks breaking loose a clot which could then travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism) or the heart.
Notable cases
- Former United States President Richard Nixon and former Vice President Dan Quayle suffered from phlebitis.
- Truman Capote, famed author of In Cold Blood and many other works, suffered from phlebitis.
- Pablo Neruda, famous poet
- During the shooting of Sense and Sensibility (1995), actress Kate Winslet, who played the role of Marianne Dashwood, suffered from phlebitis.
- Mario Lanza suffered from phlebitis, and his cause of death in 1959 was from a blood clot going from his leg to his lungs.
- Oswald Mosley, British Fascist, suffering from phlebitis, was released from internment on 23 November 1943.
- Jack Kerouac, described in one of his books how concerned he was on his condition.
See also
Notes
References
Intravenous Infusion Therapy for Nurses (Second Edition) by Dianne L. Josephson (ISBN 1-4018-0935-9)
External links
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