Tests for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

A painful swollen leg is the commonest presentation of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However many other things cause painful swollen legs and also some DVTs present without pain, or without swelling.

Therefore, before we think about treatment of DVT, we have to make sure that we are treating a deep vein thrombosis and nothing else instead.

Tests and investigations

Blood tests for DVT

There are some blood tests that are used in accident and emergency departments for screening for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These rely on picking up the biochemical markers of clotting somewhere inside the circulatory system.

An argument can (and has) been made for these tests as a screening test to put people into a high risk" or "low risk" category of having a DVT. this is useful in a public service that has a lot of people to see and where costs have to be contained.

However these are not highly accurate and so in an individual who wants tohave the optimal treatment, there is really no place for them.

Infrared or Thermal imaging cameras or devices:
in the past, some people used heat imaging cameras or techniques. Very few units now use these as they are not highly accurate nor useful.

Duplex Ultrasound scan

The best test currently available for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a colour flow duplex ultrasound performed by a specialist. There are several different sorts of colour flow duplex ultrasound and to be able to diagnose small deep vein thromboses in the calf, a very high resolution machine is required operated by someone who is expert in scanning veins.

At The Whiteley Clinic we insist on the very best equipment and train our own vascular technologists to make sure that they reach the exacting standards that we insist upon.