Dangers Of A DVT

There are three possible outcomes associated with a DVT; it is possible to experience all of them as the condition progresses. First, you will likely notice pain and swelling in the affected leg as the obstructing clot impedes your circulation.

Second, the one-way valves in your deep veins that are responsible for regulating the direction of blood flow become inflamed and suffer damage. Pain in the area will increase and may be accompanied by sores and skin discoloration. This is called post-thrombotic syndrome.

Third, a piece of the obstructing clot may break away and be carried along with your bloodstream. If the embolus (i.e. traveling clot) reaches your heart and lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism.

Anticoagulant drugs are the most common method used to treat a DVT. However, if a clot is large and in danger of breaking away from the vein’s wall, your doctor will recommend a more aggressive form of treatment.

Catheter-Directed Thrombolytic Therapy

Thrombolytic drugs are known as clot-busters because they dissolve thrombi. These medications initiate a chemical reaction in plasminogen and convert it into an enzyme called plasmin. Plasmin digests fibrin, the sticky strands that form a protective net over a clot. As the interlinked fibrin strands deteriorate, the clot dissipates.

These drugs can be administered intravenously or by catheter. The latter approach is preferred if a thrombus is large and in danger of becoming detached. The goal of thrombolytic therapy is to restore blood flow through the deep veins, and thereby minimize the risk of pulmonary embolism and valvular damage.

Venous Thrombectomy: Removing Blood Clots

A high-risk DVT, or one that has developed to an advanced stage (e.g. phlegmasia cerulea dolens) may require surgery. In such cases, thrombolytic therapy may be insufficient given the immediate risk of tissue damage and detachment of the clot. The procedure is called venous thrombectomy and involves extracting the clot from the deep veins.

It is a relatively simple operation and can be completed in less than three hours. First, your surgeon will introduce heparin into your bloodstream to slow coagulation. He or she will then insert a catheter into the femoral vein or popliteal vein, depending on the site of the blockage. Next, a venogram is done; your surgeon will introduce a contrast material through the catheter to better visualize the target vein.

There are two main approaches to removing the clot. The first approach involves drawing it through the catheter as a single mass. The second approach, called percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy, involves threading a thin wire past the clot. The catheter is advanced to the clot, and a device affixed to its tip is used to break it apart. Then, the individual fragments are drawn through the catheter. This latter approach is often necessary for large thrombi.

Is Surgical Extraction Of Blood Clots Necessary?

Surgery for Nuvaring problems involving a DVT are rare and usually considered a last resort. In most cases, the occluded vein can be resolved with anticoagulants and thrombolytic drugs. There are times, however, when use of these medications is deemed too dangerous due to the risk of internal bleeding. Venous thrombectomy offers an alternative.

If you or someone you know has suffered from abnormal clotting, DVT, or other Nuvaring side effects, you may have the right to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact an experienced Nuvaring lawyer to discuss your legal options.

Nuvaring side effects involving a stroke occurs when an embolus – in this case, a migrating blood clot – forms elsewhere in the body, and travels into a carotid artery. These arteries drain into a network of secondary artery branches, which ultimately deliver oxygen-rich blood to the various lobes of your brain. A traveling clot will migrate downstream until it forms a blockage. If this occurs, the flow of blood will become restricted, triggering side effects that reflect the associated lobe. We’ll cover these side effects in more detail below.

Left And Right Parietal Lobes

Together, the left and right sides of the parietal lobe contain the sensory cortex. This area of your brain controls many key functions, and thus a stroke that damages it can trigger several debilitating impairments. For example, you may experience a loss of sensation that presents as an inability to sense pressure, vibration, and changes in temperature.

If an embolus damages the back portion of the parietal lobe, you may have trouble distinguishing left from right, or performing calculations that were routine prior to the event. Damage to the right side might impair your ability to navigate through new places. Damage to the left side may result in an inability to understand language – in speech or written form.

There are many other dysfunctions related to this area of your brain. You may experience a loss of hand-eye coordination, reduced peripheral vision, and myriad other deficits.

Frontal Lobe

Like the parietal lobe, the frontal lobe can be divided into distinct sections based on the functions controlled by those sections. For example, injury to the front portion may result in a loss of ability to concentrate as well as persistent apathy, inattentiveness, and a loss of inhibition.

If a stroke injures the back portion of the frontal lobe, you may experience one-sided paralysis or weakness (called hemiparesis). A brain injury in the left hemisphere affects the right side of your body, and vice versa.

The middle portion of the frontal lobe is responsible for several functions, including those related to language and eye movement. Deficits in the former occasionally present as Broca’s aphasia, an impairment where the stroke survivor’s speech is labored and disjointed. The latter may present as an inability to move your eyes.

Left And Right Temporal Lobes

The left and right sides of the temporal lobe control functions associated with memory, language, hearing, emotion, and the manner in which we perceive various stimuli. If you suffer a Nuvaring stroke event that damages the left side of this lobe, you might experience a loss of memory for words and people’s names. An injury on the left side can also cause Wernicke’s aphasia, a language deficit where the survivor’s speech becomes incomprehensible. The survivor’s comprehension of others’ speech also suffers.

Damage to the right side of the temporal lobe may cause a loss of memory for faces and images. Those whom you have known for years may suddenly become unfamiliar to you.

Hearing loss, hearing sounds that do not exist (auditory hallucinations), fits of rage, and even vertigo may also present.

Occipital Lobe

This lobe controls functions related to vision. There are many ways it can present, including central visual defect, cortical blindness, hallucinations, and visual agnosia (i.e. lack of recognition for familiar objects). In some cases, survivors may experience complete blindness.

Nuvaring problems involving a stroke are varied and dependent on the location of the clot. Their severity reflects the extent of brain damage caused by a carotid arterial blockage. If you have suffered from blood clots, stroke, or other side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation for your injuries. Contact an experienced Nuvaring lawsuit settlements lawyer to discuss your options.

Mini Stroke Explained

A full ischemic stroke is triggered by an interruption in the supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your brain. In order to function properly, your brain cells need a continuous supply of these elements, which it receives through your carotid arteries. A stroke is normally caused by blood clots that form elsewhere in the body and travel to these arteries. When they arrive, they create a blockage and prevent blood from reaching the brain tissue. This causes the cells to begin to die within minutes.

A transient ischemic attack is caused by the same factors. For a short period, a portion your brain tissue becomes disconnected from its supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients. This affects your brain’s function, and can trigger one or more impairments.

Common Symptoms Of A Mini Stroke

Not all symptoms of a TIA are instantly noticeable. This might be the case when a mini-stroke cuts off the supply of blood to an area of your brain you rarely use, or use sporadically. On the other hand, if the flow of blood is restricted from a key area of your brain, you will likely notice immediate signs.

For example, if blood flow to the temporal lobe is obstructed, you might experience difficulty hearing or recalling memories from years past. An obstruction in the occipital lobe may produce vision problems. You might experience a sudden loss in eye-hand coordination if the parietal lobe is affected.

The most common area impacted during a mini stroke is the frontal lobe. This portion of your brain controls movement and sensation as well as functions related to speech, cognition, and behavior. Thus, weakness and numbness in the face and limbs are common. So, too, is an inability to speak or understand what others are saying. You may also experience vision problems and bouts of vertigo.

Stroke Versus A Transient Ischemic Attack

Note that the symptoms associated with a TIA are very similar to those which present during a stroke. The difference between the two events is that the effects of a mini-stroke typically disappear within a day. By contrast, when you suffer a full stroke, the resulting impairments can potentially last for years. In some cases, even with long-term rehabilitation, they may last for the remainder of your life.

It is important to note that both conditions display similarly on an MRI. Without access to additional information, it is impossible to tell the two circumstances apart. This implies that while the effects of a TIA dissipate within twenty-four hours, the event may still result in permanent brain injury.

Is A Full Stroke Imminent?

Brain ischemia, regardless of its severity, suggests an underlying problem that must be addressed. Even if the effects of a mini-stroke disappear, the root cause of the event is likely to trigger a recurrence sometime in the future. It is estimated that nearly one in five people who experience a transient ischemic attack suffer a major stroke within a year. For this reason, urgent treatment is critical – not only to address your immediate symptoms, but to help prevent a future stroke.

In summary, even if Nuvaring side effects involving blood clots fail to cause a stroke, they can trigger a mini-stroke. Because a TIA may be a harbinger of a future stroke, the event should be treated with the same level of urgency.

Nuvaring Litigation 2010

If you or someone you know has suffered from blood clots, stroke, pulmonary embolism, or other Nuvaring problems, find out about your legal rights. Contact one of our Nuvaring lawyers to discuss whether you should file a claim for compensation against the manufacturer.

Acting Surgeon General Issues ‘Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday September 15, 2008       Contact: Office of Public Health and Science
                                                                   (202) 205-0143

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., today issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States.

Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism affect an estimated 350,000 to 600,000 Americans each year, and the numbers are expected to increase as the U.S. population ages. Together, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism contribute to at least 100,000 deaths each year.

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the lower leg or thigh. The clot can block blood flow and cause pain, swelling, and skin discoloration.
In the most serious cases, deep vein thrombosis can lead to a pulmonary embolism – when part of the blood clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, where it can block a lung artery, causing damage to the lungs or other organs from lack of oxygen.

“Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are often ’silent’ conditions – they can occur suddenly and without symptoms,” Galson said. “But we have made a lot of progress in understanding how these disorders develop and how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them. It’s time to put this knowledge into action.”

Researchers have found that in most cases, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism develops in people who have an inherited blood clotting disorder or other risk factor, and who experience a triggering event.

“Being hospitalized or confined to bed rest, having major surgery, suffering a trauma, or traveling for several hours can increase a person’s risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism,” Galson said. “We want to increase the awareness and knowledge of these potentially deadly conditions and encourage patients and health care providers to take the steps to prevent them.”

The Call to Action urges a coordinated, multifaceted plan to reduce the numbers of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism nationwide. The plan emphasizes the need for:

• Increased awareness about deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
• Evidence-based practices for deep vein thrombosis.
• More research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of deep vein thrombosis.

The Call to Action resulted from a Surgeon General’s Workshop on Deep Vein Thrombosis which was convened in May 2006. The workshop was co-sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

“Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are major public health problems, and NHLBI is committed to continuing to support important basic and clinical research to advance our understanding of these disabling and potentially fatal conditions,” NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., noted. “Research is shedding light on genetic factors and the role of triggering events, behaviors, and conditions that increase the risk of developing dangerous blood clots. It is imperative that clinicians and public health experts work together to translate this scientific evidence to save lives.”

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) contributed to the Call to Action with the release of two new guides – one for patients and another for health care providers – on how to prevent dangerous blood clots. “Fighting deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is a team effort that involves health care providers and patients,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.

We represent all women suffering from Nuvaring side effects on a contingency basis which means that there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free no-obligation consultation please call toll free at 1-888-343-5375 or fill out our short online contact form and a Nuvaring class action lawsuit attorney will contact you to answer any of your questions.

Following the recent Supreme Court decision in Wyeth v. Levine, lawyers for the manufacturer of Nuvaring withdrew their motion for summary judgment they had filed in November 2008. The motion had argued that the manufacturer should be protected from state product liability Nuvaring lawsuits because the FDA approved the Nuvaring warning label. Plaintiff’s who had brought a Nuvaring lawsuit had claimed that the birth control ring failed to adequately warn consumers about the greater risk of developing blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism.

We represent all women suffering from Nuvaring side effects on a contingency basis which means that there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free no-obligation consultation please call toll free at 1-888-343-5375 or fill out our short online contact form and a Nuvaring lawsuit attorney will contact you to answer any of your questions.

Case 4:08-md-01964-RWS Document 54 Filed 11/07/2008 Page 1 of 2

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION   IN RE NUVARING PRODUCTS                           ) 4:08MD1964 RWS LIABILITY LITIGATION                                           )                                                                                    ) ALL CASES

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER No. 1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION IN RE NUVARING PRODUCTS                   ) 4:08MD1964 RWS LIABILITY LITIGATION                                   )                                                                            ) ALL CASES

ORDER SETTING RULE 16 CONFERENCE

Case 4:08-md-01964-RWS Document 7 Filed 08/27/2008 Page 1 of 2

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION IN RE NUVARING PRODUCTS   )                                   4:08MD1964 RWS LIABILITY LITIGATION                   )                                                            )                                   ALL CASES

ORDER UPON TRANSFER