U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was treated with blood thinners to dissolve the clot in her head and doctors were confident the top American diplomat will make a full recovery.
Ms. Clinton was admitted to a New York hospital on Sunday after doctors discovered a blood clot related to a concussion she suffered early this month while she was recovering from a stomach infection.
“In the course of a routine follow-up MRI on Sunday, the scan revealed that a right transverse sinus venous thrombosis had formed,” said Dr. Lisa Bardack from Mt. Kisco Medical Group, and Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, from George Washington University, in a statement.
“This is a clot in the vein that is situated in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear,” the doctors treating her said a day after she was admitted to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
“It did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage. To help dissolve this clot, her medical team began treating the Secretary with blood thinners. She will be released once the medication dose has been established,” doctors said in a statement.
“In all other aspects of her recovery, the Secretary is making excellent progress and we are confident she will make a full recovery.
“She is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family, and her staff,” the statement added.
A clot's danger depends on where it is
Blood clots like the one that Ms. Clinton is being treated for can occur for a host of reasons. How serious a clot is depends on where it is and why it formed. Ms. Clinton’s doctors say her clot was located in a vein between the brain and the skull behind the right ear.
WHAT THEY ARE
Blood pools and thickens into a clot after an injury or because of a heart problem, clogged arteries or other condition. Clots also can break off and travel to another part of the body.
WHERE THEY OCCUR
In leg veins (called deep vein thrombosis) or in blood vessels in the neck, brain or lungs. Leg clots are a common risk after someone has been bedridden. Clots are most dangerous when they travel to the lungs, a potentially life - threatening situation, or to the brain, where they can cause a stroke.
RISK FACTORS
High blood pressure, diabetes, birth control pills, pregnancy, stroke, recent surgery, prolonged sitting, circulation problems and heart problems especially an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation raise the chances of developing a blood clot.
TREATMENT
Sometimes a blood thinner such as warfarin is prescribed to allow the clot to dissolve by itself over time and prevent new ones from forming.
