Arterial thrombosis
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| I74.- | Arterial embolism and thrombosis With the exception of embolism and thrombosis as complications |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
An arterial thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot ( thrombus ) in a carotid artery .
Occurrence and origin
An arterial thrombosis can lead to a circulatory disorder in the affected organ and thus to a lack of oxygen.
Thromboses in the arteries usually arise in places with an altered inner vessel wall ( tunica intima or intima ), e.g. B. by arteriosclerostic plaques. The thrombosis itself can lead to vascular occlusion at the point of origin or occlude vascular segments located further peripherally in the form of an embolism , while embolisms from a venous thrombosis usually affect the lungs.
Affected organs / areas
An arterial embolism
- of a coronary artery is called a heart attack ,
- of a brain supplying vessel is called a stroke ,
- one eye is called retinal artery occlusion ,
- of the intestine is called mesenteric infarction .
An arterial thrombosis / arteriosclerosis
- a leg artery is called arterial occlusion, cf. Occlusive arterial disease .
- coronary artery disease is called coronary artery disease, cf. Coronary thrombosis .
- of the renal arteries leads to kidney infarction ( arteriosclerosis of the kidney is called nephrosclerosis ).
But other organs can also be affected.
Risk factors
The risk of thrombosis in the arteries generally increases with age, especially in smokers, diabetics , high blood pressure patients and people who are overweight or who have poor blood lipid levels .
causes
The cause of the formation of an arterial thrombus are
- atherosclerotic changes in the vessels
- an injury or scarring of the vascular lining ( endothelium )
- mechanical obstacles in the blood flow such as prostheses or foreign bodies in the blood flow such as artificial heart valves or vascular substitutes
- Clotting disorders ( thrombophilia )
The main causes of blood clot formation are summarized as the Virchow triad . Taken together, these causes are more common and pronounced in the veins than in the arteries. Because of this, venous thrombi are more common than arterial thrombi. And therefore the measures are preventing arterial thrombosis less intrusive than the measures to prevent venous thrombosis.
Symptoms
The symptoms vary depending on the organ affected:
- An affected extremity is usually cold and pale, a pulse can no longer be felt and there is very severe pain. The function is severely restricted.
- If the intestine is affected, very severe abdominal pain occurs, which fatally usually stops after a few hours and can lead to the mistaken assumption that everything is fine again.
- Artery occlusion in a kidney leads to severe unilateral flank pain and bloody urine.
- Closures of the fundus arteries result in impaired vision and even blindness in the affected eye.
- If vessels of the brain are affected ( stroke ), all kinds of neurological deficits can occur.
First aid
- Alert the emergency services immediately by calling 112 (in Europe) or another local emergency number
- Sit down or lie down with the sick person and lay the affected extremity low (let your arm or leg hang down) and pad it well
- Keep affected extremity warm
- Further general measures in the context of first aid
therapy
Depending on the extent of the circulatory disorder and the organ affected, "blood-thinning" drugs (e.g. heparin ), lysis therapy , reopening by catheter technology or surgical removal of the clot ( thrombectomy ) may be considered.
prophylaxis
Unlike venous thrombosis acting antiplatelet agents such as aspirin (ASA) or clopidogrel preventively against arterial thrombosis.
See also
swell
- ↑ Konrad Meyne: Handbook of arterial occlusive disease. Guide to the clinical picture of peripheral arterial occlusive disease, its detection and treatment , Schlütersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Hannover 2003, ISBN 3-87706-694-1 , page 43
- ^ Austrian Red Cross General Secretariat: Medical Aid Training ; 7th edition version March 2016; ISBN 978-3-902332-18-9
