Supporting the goals and ideals of “Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month”.

Supporting the goals and ideals of “Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month”.

Whereas deep vein thrombosis (referred to in this preamble as “DVT”) is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the body, such as in the arm, abdomen, around the brain, and most commonly in the leg;

Whereas a potentially life-threatening complication of DVT is a pulmonary embolism (referred to in this preamble as a “PE”), where a blood clot breaks off, travels through the blood stream, and lodges in the lung;

Whereas DVT and PEs are serious but often preventable medical conditions;

Whereas DVT and PEs affect as many as 900,000 individuals in the United States each year;

Whereas DVT and PEs kill an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 individuals in the United States each year, and 1 out of 4 individuals who have a PE die without warning;

Whereas deaths caused by DVT and PEs are often preventable;

Whereas DVT and PEs are among the leading causes of preventable hospital deaths in the United States;

Whereas DVT and PEs are common complications faced by cancer patients, and survival rates are lower for individuals with cancer who also have blood clots;

Whereas pregnancy increases the risk of DVT and PEs, and that risk remains elevated for up to 3 months after giving birth;

Whereas immobility, surgery, older age, and a family history of clotting and thrombophilia increase the risk of DVT and PEs;

Whereas DVT and PEs contribute to up to $10,000,000,000 in incremental medical costs each year in the United States; and

Whereas the establishment of March as “Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month” would raise awareness about these life-threatening but preventable conditions: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved,