Blood Clots the Leading Cause of Preventable Deaths in US Hospitals

Health care workers share insights on why nearly half of all hospital patients aren’t receiving proper preventative care for blood clots.

A hospitalized patient lies in bed connected to an IV drip. Shutterstock

It can start with something simple that’s easily written off—a feeling of lightheadedness or a sore leg muscle. 

Symptoms of blood clots can be non-specific or even nonexistent until they become life-threatening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 100,000 people in the United States die from blood clots every year.