[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medical–surgical nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/med-surg/) › Nursing care in deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: recognising them, the first response and mobilisation # Nursing care in deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: recognising them, the first response and mobilisation - Safe practice A swollen, painful, warm leg can be a clot; sudden breathlessness or chest pain can mean it reached the lung. The nurse recognises it and calls for help. Updated Nov 13, 2026 ## Key points - DVT signs: one-sided swelling, pain or tenderness, warmth and redness of the leg or arm; about half have no symptoms. - PE signs: sudden breathlessness, chest pain worse on deep breathing or coughing, coughing blood, fast pulse, dizziness, fainting, low pressure. - Suspected PE: stay with the patient, call for help at once, monitor saturation and vital signs. - With anticoagulation, early walking was not linked to more PE or DVT progression than bed rest, and it eased leg pain. - Teach: stockings smooth and not tight if prescribed, legs raised when swollen, no long sitting still, take the anticoagulant exactly. ## What it is Deep vein thrombosis often gives few signs, and a pulmonary embolism can appear without any warning in the leg. The nurse looks for one-sided swelling, pain, warmth and redness of a limb, and for sudden breathlessness, chest pain that worsens on breathing, coughing blood, a fast pulse, dizziness or low blood pressure. A suspected embolism is an emergency: the nurse stays with the patient, calls for help and supports breathing and monitoring while the team decides. Once anticoagulation has started, the team usually lets the patient walk early: a meta-analysis found no more embolism with early walking than with bed rest. Prevention is on the VTE prevention page. ## What it requires - Recognising a DVT and a PE, and escalating without delay. - Supporting the patient during the first response: position, oxygen as ordered, monitoring and IV access. - Safe anticoagulation with its checks and bleeding watch. - Mobilisation when the team allows it, and leg care. - Teaching about the anticoagulant, stockings and the warning signs. ## How it is applied (and why) - Compare both legs for swelling, warmth, redness and tenderness each shift — a one-sided change can be a clot. - Report a suspected DVT at once — the diagnosis needs tests that only the medical team can order. - If breathlessness, chest pain or coughing blood appears suddenly, stay with the patient and call for help — PE is an emergency. - Measure saturation, pulse, breathing and pressure, and give oxygen as ordered — they show how severe it is. - Prepare IV access and help with the ordered tests — the team needs a fast diagnosis. - Give the anticoagulant with its checks and watch for bleeding — the treatment itself carries a risk. - Help the patient walk as soon as the team allows — early walking with anticoagulation is safe and eases pain. - Raise a swollen leg at rest and apply prescribed stockings smoothly — less swelling and discomfort. - Teach the signs of a new clot or PE and of bleeding — they can appear after discharge. ## In nursing practice - Call at once for sudden breathlessness, chest pain on breathing, coughing blood, fainting, a fast or irregular pulse or falling saturation. - Call for a leg that becomes much more swollen, or pale, blue or cold. - Call for bleeding of any kind in a patient on anticoagulants. - Report fever or chills. - Remember that a PE can occur without any earlier leg signs. ## Common mistakes - Waiting to see if the breathlessness goes away. - Leaving the patient alone to go and look for help. - Waiting for leg symptoms before thinking of a PE. - Keeping a patient in bed for days on anticoagulation without an order to do so. - Letting stockings roll down or wrinkle and form a tight band. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which signs suggest a deep vein thrombosis? Swelling, pain or tenderness, warmth and redness of one leg or arm; many people have no symptoms at all. ## What does the nurse do if a patient suddenly becomes breathless with chest pain on breathing? Stays with the patient, calls for help at once, and monitors saturation and vital signs while the team decides. ## Is early walking safe in DVT once anticoagulation has started? A meta-analysis found no more PE or DVT progression than with bed rest, and less leg pain; the team decides for each patient. ## How are prescribed compression stockings used? Smooth, not too tight and without wrinkles, washed daily; the patient tells the provider if they feel too tight instead of stopping them alone. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/nursing-care-in-deep-vein-thrombosis-and-pulmonary-embolism-recognising-them-the/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Signs of deep vein thrombosis: Homans and the Wells score](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/signs-of-deep-vein-thrombosis-homans-and-the-wells-score/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Mechanical prevention of venous thromboembolism: stockings and intermittent compression](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/mechanical-prevention-of-venous-thromboembolism-stockings-and-intermittent-compr/) - [Patients on anticoagulants: bleeding watch, monitoring tests, interactions and teaching](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/patients-on-anticoagulants-bleeding-watch-monitoring-tests-interactions-and-teac/) - [Recognising deterioration and calling the rapid response team](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/recognising-deterioration-and-calling-the-rapid-response-team/) - [Oxygen therapy: devices, flows and safety](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/oxygen-therapy-devices-flows-and-safety/) ## Related conditions 2 - [Deep vein thrombosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis/) - [Pulmonary embolism](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pulmonary-embolism/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [About Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots)](https://www.cdc.gov/blood-clots/about/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2025); [Pulmonary embolus: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000132.htm) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026); [Deep vein thrombosis - discharge: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000027.htm) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026); [Liu Z et al. Bed rest versus early ambulation with standard anticoagulation in the management of deep vein thrombosis: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 10(4):e0121388](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4393252/) (PLoS One (PubMed Central, open access), 2015). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/nursing-care-in-deep-vein-thrombosis-and-pulmonary-embolism-recognising-them-the/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/nursing-care-in-deep-vein-thrombosis-and-pulmonary-embolism-recognising-them-the/