Pathway Step 4 · Build your kit

🧰 Patient Tools Kit — Deep-Vein-Thrombosis

The everyday tools a Certified Prepared Patient keeps within reach: the rules that decide an emergency, the order to make calls, and the trackers that keep the routine on course. Print the cards, fill in your contacts, and keep this kit where the whole household can find it.

What’s in your kit

Eight tools. The first three are the rules you must know cold — they decide when something is an emergency. The rest keep the daily partnership steady and tell you where your role begins and ends.

1 The PE Watch Rule 2 The Leg Care Rule 3 Other Red Flags 4 The Contact Ladder 5 Walking Steps 6 DVT Meds 7 The ER Go-Bag 8 Speak Up / Trust the Team
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1 · The DVT-to-PE Rule

Know this cold

A DVT (clot in leg vein) can travel to the lungs as a PE — potentially fatal. Knowing the warning signs is life-saving.

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DVT PE WATCH RULE

Patient card
Sudden breathlessness
New shortness of breath, especially with chest pain or rapid pulse — could be PE. 911.
Chest pain with breath
Sharp chest pain that worsens with deep breath or cough — could be PE. 911.
Anticoagulant prevents
The anticoagulant treats the DVT and prevents PE. Never miss a dose.
Your move as patient: Watch for breathing changes daily. Help with daily anticoagulant. Encourage walking — movement helps. Tell every clinician about the DVT.
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2 · The Leg Care Rule

Know this cold

After a DVT, the affected leg may have lingering swelling, pain, or skin changes (post-thrombotic syndrome). Daily care can reduce these.

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DVT LEG CARE RULE

Patient card
Compression stockings
If prescribed: graduated compression daily. Reduces post-thrombotic syndrome significantly.
Elevate when sitting
Elevate the leg above heart level several times per day. Reduces swelling.
Walking daily
Daily walking helps the calf muscles pump blood back. Inactivity raises clot risk.
Your move as patient: Help you remember compression stocking morning routine. Encourage daily walks. Watch for color changes (deep red, purple, or pale) — tell team.
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3 · Other Red Flags — Emergencies

Know this cold

Beyond the two red rules above, these situations also mean immediate help. When in doubt, the home care plan handles ordinary days — these are not ordinary.

💨 Sudden shortness of breath

Could be PE — 911.

Call 911 now

❤️ Chest pain with breath

Could be PE — 911.

Call 911 now

🪨 Major bleeding

Vomiting blood, severe bleeding, blood in stool/urine on anticoagulant — ED.

ED now

🧝 Worsening leg pain + color change

New severe pain, pale or deeply discolored leg — could be phlegmasia (severe DVT). ED.

ED today
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4 · The Contact Ladder

Fill in & print

When something is wrong, you should not be deciding who to call in the moment — only which rung you are on. Fill in the names and numbers now, while things are calm.

1
Rung 1 · The plan

You's DVT recovery plan

Daily anticoagulant, leg care, follow-up imaging, duration of therapy.

Action plan kept: ________________________
2
Rung 2 · The specialists

Hematology / vascular / anticoagulation clinic

For dose questions, lab results, new symptoms.

Specialty team: ________________________
3
Rung 3 · Everyday care

Primary care provider

For routine care, comorbidities, vaccines, leg care questions.

Primary care: ________________________
4
Rung 4 · Emergency

911 / Emergency Department

For PE signs (breath, chest pain), major bleeding, severe leg pain or color change.

Preferred ED: ________________________
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5 · Daily Steps

Tap to log

Track total walking steps. Daily activity prevents future clots and improves recovery.

Aim for 5,000-10,000 steps if able. Bring log to clinic. Inactivity raises clot risk — especially during travel.

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6 · DVT Anticoagulant Support

Daily routine

DVT treatment is anticoagulation, usually 3 months minimum. Some patients need longer or lifelong therapy depending on cause.

The principle: the anticoagulant treats the existing clot, prevents new ones, and prevents PE. Adherence is everything. Compression stockings reduce post-thrombotic syndrome.

DOAC vs warfarin

Same options as PE — choice depends on cause, cost, comorbidities.

Compression stockings

Reduce post-thrombotic syndrome. Wear daily for the first year, sometimes longer.

No estrogen

Estrogen-containing birth control or hormone replacement raises clot risk significantly. Talk to team about alternatives.

Travel precautions

On long flights / car trips: walk every 1-2 hours, hydrate, compression stockings. Don’t skip anticoagulant for travel.

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7 · The ER Go-Bag

Pack once, check monthly

A crisis is not the time to gather paperwork. Pack a go-bag now and keep it by the door. Tap each item as you add it — your checklist saves on this device.

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8 · Speak Up / Trust the Team Guide

You boundary

The hardest skill in patienting is knowing when to act and when to hold back. A great patient is a reliable backup and a fierce advocate — without taking your own care away from them.

💬 Speak up when…

  • A red-flag rule is met and a clinician is dismissing it — restate the rule and the home plan calmly and clearly.
  • You are in the ED and your home plan is being ignored — ask for it to be looked at, and ask for a senior clinician if needed.
  • You are about to be given a medicine or test that wasn’t in the plan — ask why, and ask about alternatives.
  • Your symptoms are escalating between visits — call before it becomes an ER trip.
  • You feel unheard or rushed — it’s OK to say "I need a minute to ask one more question."

🤝 Trust the team when…

  • They have proposed a guideline-based treatment that fits your plan.
  • You disagree from fear rather than from new information — pause, ask one question, listen.
  • You are on a stable run that’s working — small adjustments often beat big changes.
  • Your care partner’s instinct and the team’s recommendation agree — that’s a strong signal.
  • You’ve done your part of the homework — logs, questions, honest history — and now it’s the team’s turn.
The principle: you trained to the depth your clinicians use so you could be a partner in your own care, not a passenger. Speak up for safety and accuracy; trust the team for guideline-based treatment and steady adjustment. When unsure, ask a clarifying question first: “Can you walk me through your reasoning?”
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