Phlebitis - scan needed to select correct treatment

Phlebitis is a very mis-used word - and leads to incorrect treatments. Antibiotics are NOT the right treatment for phlebitis.



Phlebitis can cause a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) and so now new guidelines from the UK and USA are out to make sure people get the right treatment.

Before the correct treatment can be selected, it is essential to have a duplex ultrasound scan:

1.  To confirm the diagnosis of phlebitis
2. To see the extent of the clot
3. To choose the optimal treatment

For more information see www.phlebitis.co.uk
 

DVT missed - All leg vein problems need duplex ultrasound scans

In the news today was another case of a doctor missing a DVT with tragic consequences.

Veins specialists at The Whiteley Clinic have spent years explaining that no matter what doctors or nurses say, when I comes to vein problems in the legs, if they don't have a duplex ultrasound result in front of them, they are at best making an "informed guess".

Duplex ultrasound is non-invasive and so does not hurt at all and uses no damaging radiation - it is only a specialised ultrasound with no risk at all to the patient.

Whether the problems be:

• Deep vein thrombosis
• Phlebitis
• Varicose veins
• Leg ulcers
• Venous eczema

or a host of other leg vein problems, it is highly unlikely that any doctor or nurse will guess the correct treatment without getting a duplex ultrasound scan first to find out what is going on and how extensive the problem is.

If patients with these problems are not offered a duplex ultrasound scan by their doctor or nurse, they should insist on being referred to have one. 

Article on BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24438169
- DVT: http://www.deep-vein-thrombosis.co.uk/
- Phlebitis: http://www.phlebitis.co.uk/
- Varicose veins: http://www.varicose-veins.co.uk/
- Leg ulcers: http://www.legulcers.co.uk/
- Venous Eczema: http://www.venouseczema.co.uk/

Phlebitis explained - Mark Whiteley interviewed on Askimo TV

Phlebitis is a commonly misused term.

Mark Whiteley is interviewed about phlebitis - what it actually is and how it should be treated.

Phlebitis and haemosiderin from untreated varicose veins

This 46 year old man came to The Whiteley Clinic having had varicose veins for years. He had not had them treated as "they did not cause him any trouble".

Three weeks ago he suddenly had discomfort and inflammation over his right shin - with hard tender lumps where the varicose veins had been:



 

Superficial thrombophlebitis and haemosiderin complicating varicose veins
that should have been treated before these problems occurred 

Once the lumps and tenderness had appeared, he realised that he needed his veins treated and so chose The Whiteley Clinic becuase of our reputation for excellence.

On examination however, we noticed that he also had brown stains around his ankles. This brown discoluration is called "haemosiderin" deposition and is due to the skin being damaged from long term varicose veins (or "venous reflux") that haven't been treated.

Brown stains (haemosiderin) around the ankle due to
inflammation from long term varicose veins 

The patient underwent a specialist venous duplex ultrasound scan by a Whiteley Clinic trained expert vascular technologist.

This showed they underlying varicose veins that had caused both of these problems - and would go on to cause further damage and leg ulceration if left untreated.

Phlebitis (or properly "superficial thrombophlebitis") - clots in the
varicose veins and inflammed skin surrounding the affected area

As with most people suffering from such conditions, the venous duplex ultrasound showed that this patient can be cured using the local anaesthetic walk-in walk-out surgery.

By following The Whiteley Protocol, a combination of EVLA (Endovenous Laser Ablation), TRLOP (TRansLuminal Occlusion of Perforators), phlebectomies and foam sclerotherapy will cure this patient, reversing most of the damage and preventing the further deterioration of the leg towards more phlebitis, skin damage and ulcers.

For more information:
www.phlebitis.co.uk
www.venouseczema.co.uk