From Flying Missions to Running TestsBefore becoming a commercial airline pilot, Ralph Freed flew helicopters for the Marine Corps and C-130s for the Air Force Reserves. Ralph was a strong, smart and experienced combat pilot, but none of this prepared him for his battle against deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
DVT is a common medical condition that occurs when a blood clot, called a thrombus, forms in a large vein, usually in the lower limbs, and partially or completely blocks blood flow in that area. If the thrombus moves it can travel to the brain, lungs, heart or other parts of the body, causing severe damage to that organ or even death. Pulmonary embolisms, a complication of DVT, occur when the clot travels to the lungs.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a Hidden Killer
| U.S. population affected with DVT annually | 2 million1 |
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| People hospitalized with DVT | 600,0001 |
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| Annual deaths from pulmonary embolism | 60,0001 |
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| One-year mortality rate | 21%1 |
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Shortly after his return from an Air Force mission overseas, Ralph began to notice unusual pains in his leg. Ralph described his leg as feeling “like a wooden block and something completely different than what just a sore muscle would feel like.” Remembering that another member of his squadron had gotten DVT after a long flight, he decided to see a doctor.
Diagnostic Test Confirms Ralph's DVTRalph was given the D-dimer diagnostic test, which measures the level of fibrin degradation products in the body, to determine if he had DVT. Since its introduction in the 1990s, the D-dimer test technology has become an increasingly important DVT diagnostic tool. It is given to patients experiencing DVT-like symptoms to diagnose them quickly and reduce the chance of a more serious complication. A “positive” D-dimer blood test result means that there is a significant clot formation somewhere in the body, but does not indicate the location or cause of the clot.
Ralph’s D-dimer test showed that he had a clot, so his physician ordered an ultrasound to determine its location. The ultrasound confirmed that he had a large blood clot that extended from the base of his heel, up his leg, to behind his knee.
Medical Technology Advances DVT DiagnosisAlthough ultrasounds are instrumental in accurately diagnosing DVT, research has found that performing a D-dimer test before ordering an ultrasound is the most cost-effective way of diagnosing DVT. This option showed a 17 percent cost reduction compared with a diagnostic option in which serial ultrasounds were performed without a D-dimer test. The researchers also noted that this option improved the overall quality of patients’ lives while allowing for a reduction in costs and resources.2
Ralph’s physicians ordered an additional diagnostic test to determine if he had a genetic tendency to clot inappropriately. Ralph’s “negative” Factor II and V test results meant that his DVT was “incident-related” and probably caused by a long flight from Kyrgyzstan to the United States. “It was reassuring to have the Factor II and Factor V tests, which found that I do not have genes that give me an increased risk of having DVT or experiencing additional episodes,” Ralph said.
Ralph’s thrombosis was successfully treated and after he was cleared to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration, he got right back to work. He admitted, “The entire experience rattled me at first, but now I feel like I’ve been given a second chance and am working to be the best pilot I can. Life is good again.”