Presentation and Physical Examination
nCalf
pain or tenderness, or both
nSwelling
with pitting oedema
nSwelling
below knee in distal deep vein thrombosis and up to groin in proximal deep
vein thrombosis
nIncreased
skin temperature
nSuperficial
venous dilatation
nCyanosis
can occur with severe obstruction
nPalpate
distal pulses and evaluate capillary refill to assess limb perfusion.
nMove
and palpate all joints to detect acute arthritis or other joint pathology.
nNeurologic
evaluation may detect nerve root irritation; sensory, motor, and reflex
deficits should be noted
nHomans'’
sign: pain in the posterior calf or knee with forced dorsiflexion of the
foot
nSearch
for stigmata of PE such as tachycardia (common), tachypnea or chest
findings (rare), and
nexam
for signs suggestive of underlying predisposing factors.
Wells
Score
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