Bonnie Bernstein, ESPN sportscaster, shares DVT experience in talk on March 22
The Coalition to Prevent DVT Brings DVT Awareness In Motion to Louisville on March 22, Educating Area Residents About the Importance of Preventive Care Through Movement
Bonnie Bernstein, ESPN sportscaster and national patient spokesperson for the Coalition to Prevent DVT, will share her personal experience about the importance of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) education and risk assessment in a free talk from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 22 in the second-floor auditorium at Baptist Hospital East.
The talk is part of the Coalition to Prevent DVT’s recently launched DVT Awareness In Motion campaign, launched in conjunction with the seventh annual DVT Awareness Month. The campaign focuses on simple movements to help prevent DVT. Those who attend will receive the movement guide, a risk assessment tool and educational brochures.
Joining Bernstein on the program will be Vascular Surgeon Thomas Bergamini, MD, and Nurse Practitioner Betty Clifton with Baptist East’s Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program. Dr. Bergamini will focus on prevention and treatment.
Bernstein, the newest addition to “Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio in New York, began experiencing severe leg pain and difficulty breathing while on assignment in October 2006. An ultrasound revealed a deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clot, that extended from her Achilles tendon to the top of her leg. Further testing showed the clot had broken off and went into both lungs, forming pulmonary emboli (PE), a potentially life-threatening complication. Grateful for the just-in-time diagnosis and treatment, Bernstein began her partnership with the Coalition to Prevent DVT to better educate the public about DVT and its complications.
“From my own experience, I know that DVT can happen to almost anyone, which is why programs like DVT Awareness In Motion are so important,” said Bernstein. “The best thing you can do for yourself is to take action by knowing the signs and symptoms and taking the appropriate preventive care. I encourage everyone to attend the event, or download information from the Web site, to learn more about the role of movement in helping to reduce your risk.”
DVT is a blood clot that forms inside a deep vein, most often in the lower leg. Once formed, a blood clot can break off and may cause severe complications, some even fatal. A DVT blood clot has the potential to move into the lungs and block circulation to this vital organ creating a life- threatening condition – pulmonary embolism (PE) – which requires immediate medical attention.
To register, or for more information, call the Baptist Hospital East Information Center at (502) 897-8131 or e-mail BHEInfoCenter@bhsi.com.
Up to two million Americans are affected each year by DVT. Approximately 300,000 Americans die each year from pulmonary embolism (PE),[1] the majority of which result from DVT.[2] Complications from DVT kill more Americans than breast cancer and AIDS combined.[3]
The Coalition is also partnering with Mary Ann Wilson, RN, founder and host of “Sit and Be Fit,” a program that airs on PBS, to present DVT Awareness In Motion. The educational program will demonstrate simple movements that may help reduce the risk of DVT by encouraging blood circulation. The video can be accessed at www.preventdvt.org.
Ambulation, such as limited movement and stretching, is one way to reduce the risk for DVT. Increasing movement encourages better blood circulation. The DVT Awareness In Motion program provides instruction on simple movements that may help reduce the risk of DVT, including the DVT Awareness In Motion movement guide, which provides easy-to-do movements designed to encourage blood circulation in places that mobility is restricted, such as the hospital, at the office, in assisted living or during travel.
About DVT Awareness In Motion
To kick off the seventh annual Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Awareness Month, the Coalition to Prevent DVT is introducing the DVT Awareness In Motion national educational program. Working with Mary Ann Wilson, RN, founder and host of “Sit and Be Fit,” a program that airs on PBS, the Coalition has developed an educational video that features simple movements to help increase blood circulation. The movements featured in the video are tailored to settings where mobility is usually restricted such as a hospital bed, in the work place, in assisted-living and rehabilitation facilities and during travel. The program goes beyond building traditional awareness of the signs and symptoms of DVT and emphasizes the importance of preventive care in these everyday settings.
About DVT and DVT Awareness Month
March is DVT Awareness Month, which is championed by the Coalition to Prevent DVT to raise awareness of this serious medical condition among consumers, healthcare professionals and public health leaders.
About Baptist Hospital East
Baptist Hospital East, a 519-bed acute care hospital, is among the top five hospitals in the state for cardiovascular services, neurosciences, total joint replacements, maternity care and emergency services. Along with general medical and surgical services, Baptist East offers a one-of-a-kind vascular inpatient unit with all monitored beds. Heart services encompass diagnostic services, open heart surgery, a chest pain unit and cardiac rehabilitation plus a pair of dedicated inpatient units with all private rooms. Its outpatient-focused Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program seeks to identify those at risk for heart attack or stroke through vascular and other screenings. Baptist East, a member of Baptist Healthcare System, is a recognized healthcare leader – a five-time winner of Thomson-Reuters 100 Top Hospitals honor and designation as a Magnet® hospital for excellence in nursing services.
About the Coalition to Prevent DVT
The mission of the Coalition to Prevent DVT is to reduce the immediate and long-term dangers of DVT and PE, which together make up one of the nation's leading causes of death. The Coalition will educate the public, healthcare professionals and policy-makers about risk factors, symptoms and signs associated with DVT, as well as identify evidence-based measures to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality from DVT and PE. The Coalition is composed of more than 60 members from medical societies, patient advocacy groups and other public health organizations dedicated to raising awareness of this serious medical condition. The Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis is funded by sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC. For more information, visit www.preventdvt.org.