Can a blood clot cause organ failure?

Can a blood clot cause organ failure?

Pulmonary embolism: A blood clot that lodges in a pulmonary artery within one of the lungs is a pulmonary embolism. This can result in low oxygen levels in the blood and damage to the lungs, heart, and other organs. Kidney failure: Blood clots in the kidneys can cause damage and ultimately, kidney failure.

What organs are affected by blood clots?

If a clot in an artery breaks free and travels through the circulatory system, it can cause blockages affecting the heart, lungs, and other organs—potentially shutting them down. The results can be deadly.

Can a blood clot cause kidney failure?

A complete blockage of blood flow to the kidney can often result in permanent kidney failure. Acute arterial occlusion of the renal artery can occur after injury or trauma to the abdomen, side, or back. Blood clots that travel through the bloodstream (emboli) can lodge in the renal artery.

What causes blood clots in liver and spleen?

Most often, it is caused by conditions that make blood clots more likely to form, including: Abnormal growth of cells in the bone marrow (myeloproliferative disorders) Cancers. Chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.

What is a thromboembolic event?

Thromboembolism: Formation in a blood vessel of a clot (thrombus) that breaks loose and is carried by the blood stream to plug another vessel. The clot may plug a vessel in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), brain (stroke), gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, or leg.

What are the long term effects of a blood clot?

A clot can permanently damage the vein it is lodged in. This problem, called post-phlebitis syndrome, causes persistent leg pain, swelling, darkened skin, and sometimes hard-to-heal skin ulcers. Up to 40% of people with a DVT develop post-phlebitis syndrome.

How does the body dissolve a blood clot?

Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets (a type of blood cell) and proteins in your plasma (the liquid part of blood) work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury. Typically, your body will naturally dissolve the blood clot after

What happens when your heart is blocked by a blood clot?

When the blood supply to the heart or brain is completely blocked by the clot, a part of these organs can be damaged as a result of being deprived of blood and its nutrients. If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device.

What does it mean when blood clots are too easily formed?

But sometimes blood clots form too easily or don’t dissolve properly and travel through the body limiting or blocking blood flow. This is called excessive blood clotting or hypercoagulation, and can be very dangerous.

What happens when your red blood cells stop working?

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, which is an essential component of most cellular activities. When they stop functioning correctly (as happens in diseases like sickle-cell anemia and leukemia or with poisons like carbon monoxide), it reduces the flow of oxygen and can impair or kill cells. Wiki User 2009-09-22 19:27:53