Venous thromboembolism (VTE) 

Every year, many people develop a blood clot in a vein. It's known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) and is a serious, potentially fatal, medical condition.

VTE is the collective name for:

• deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - a blood clot in in one of the deep veins in the body, usually in one of the legs
• pulmonary embolism - a blood clot in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs

Many blood clots can be completely avoided. The key is to be aware if you're at risk and take some simple preventative steps.

You can find more information on the UK's National Health Service webpage:  http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Thrombosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Venous thromboembolism can also known as:

• VTE
• Thromboembolism
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Thrombosis
• Blood clot
• Clot
• Pulmonary Embolism