“Is Phlebitis Dangerous and Life-threatening'' Yes, phlebitis can be dangerous and life-threatening in SOME SITUATIONS. I will explain when is it is dangerous, what it is, what causes it, what it looks like, what you should do if you think you have phlebitis.

Phlebitis is an inflammation of a vein. The vein is hot, red and lumpy. The lump is tubular in shape and it is tender to touch, it may throb and walking may be painful. The cause of phlebitis in the leg is most often a clot in the vein just under the skin. The clot may disperse and the phlebitis then gets better, but sometimes phlebitis is serious and the condition may become dangerous.
When specifically talking about phlebitis in the leg veins, there are certain risk factors that increase the chances of a blood clot forming:
Obesity
Smoking
Pregnancy
Immobility for long periods
Varicose veins
Some oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Certain medical conditions (cancer, blood disorders)
In the case of leg vein phlebitis, you may not have any symptoms but if you do, they generally tend to be pain, sensitivity, redness and bulging of the vein. As you can see in this photograph of phlebitis, the skin over the vein is often discoloured but sometimes there may be nothing to see, particularly if the vein is a little deeper under the skin. This patient had quite a lot of tenderness. An ultrasound scan confirmed that there was clot in the vein and I prescribed blood thinning medication.
Phlebitis does not usually result in serious complications. However, if the clot in the superficial vein is extensive and if it involves the area where the superficial vein and a deep vein come together that is near the groin or behind the knee, a DVT can develop.
Sometimes people are unaware that they have a DVT until they experience a life-threatening complication. The most common and serious complication of DVT is a PE. A PE occurs when a piece of the blood clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, where it blocks blood flow.
Symptoms of a PE include:
unexplained shortness of breath
chest pain
coughing up blood
pain with deep breathing
rapid breathing
feeling lightheaded or passing out
fast heart rate
If you think you have phlebitis, you should see your GP and request a scan. If the area of redness, lumpiness or tenderness is getting bigger, if it is near your groin or at the back of your knee, then the phlebitis may be near a deep vein. You may be at high risk of a DVT. Request a scan and insist that is done urgently.
Now at the beginning I said that I would tell you the 5 things you must know about phlebitis and here they are.
Phlebitis is not caused by an infection and antibiotics are not necessary.
Phlebitis most commonly affects the leg veins and it causes swelling, tenderness and redness along the vein. Less common sites include the arm and the chest.
The diagnosis requires a duplex ultrasound scan. Conditions such as cellulitis can mimic phlebitis so confirming the correct diagnosis with a duplex ultrasound scan is essential and it ensures you get the right treatment.
The fundamental problem causing the inflammation in the vein is clot formation which can spread to the deep veins causing a deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Many experts suggest that the term phlebitis should be replaced by the term superficial venous thrombosis. This term more accurately describes the potential for DVT.
The duplex ultrasound scan should not only check the area that is painful, but both legs should be examined for a possible deep vein thrombosis. When someone has phlebitis, they can be in a so-called hypercoagulable state in which the blood is sticky. That means that clots can develop elsewhere in the body, including in the deep veins of the other leg as well.

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