Ocella Lawsuit 2010

by admin on August 7th, 2010

Patients suffering from blood clot problems continue to look at their legal options including filing a Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella lawsuit to help recover compensation for medical bills and lost time from work. Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella side effects involving deep vein thrombosis (DVT) pose risks that extend beyond circulation problems. Blood clots in the deep veins can embolize, breaking free of the venous lining. When this occurs, the emboli are free to travel with your blood as it flows through your veins and toward your heart. This exposes you to serious blood clot side effects, including, but not limited to, arrhythmias, pulmonary embolism, and stroke.

Because of the dangers associated with a DVT, it is important to have the condition diagnosed as early as possible. The challenge is that the testing process is less than straightforward. Multiple diagnostic tests are usually necessary.

D-Dimer Testing For The Presence Of Fibrin Fragments

When a vein is injured, your body’s natural clotting system manufactures thrombin. This material then activates a compound called fibrinogen, and converts it into a substance called fibrin. Fibrin strands form a net over the injury, which becomes the foundation of a blood clot.

Thrombin also triggers your body’s clot-dissolving mechanism. As clots dissolve, fibrin strands deteriorate into fragments called D-dimers. A D-dimer test identifies the level of these particles in your blood. If test results note a marked rise in D-dimers, it implies the presence of clots. If the level is normal, deep vein thrombosis can usually be ruled out.

As a side note, this test can produce false positives since an elevated level of D-dimers can be caused by infection, liver disease, and other conditions. For this reason, results are inconclusive.

MRI and CT Scanning For Blood Clots

Your doctor may also choose to order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and helical computed tomography (CT) scans. MRIs use radio waves and magnets, and are typically ordered to study heart disorders. However, a form of MRI, called magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), can be used to study the venous network in your legs (the most common site of DVT).

Helical CT scans use x-rays to generate images. These scans, too, are typically ordered to examine structures in the chest, including the heart, pericardium, and lungs. As with an MRA, however, a form of CT scan called computed tomography angiography (CTA) can generate 3-dimensional images of the deep veins in your legs.

Results from both tests can help your doctor identify clots that have formed in your legs. These tests are rarely sufficient for producing a firm diagnosis of DVT, but they can be helpful for building the case.

Doppler Ultrasound For Identifying Deep Venous Obstructions

Ultrasound has traditionally been the most common diagnostic test used for identifying Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella blood clots in the legs. With a conventional approach, the doctor uses a transducer to emit sound waves that penetrate the tissues and bounce off the veins’ walls. The sound waves then return to the transducer, which forwards them to a computer. The computer uses the data to produce two-dimensional “B-mode” images.

Doppler ultrasound follows the same process. However, rather than bouncing off the walls of the blood vessels, the sound waves are reflected from red blood cells. The resulting data is sent to a computer, which generates images of your blood flow. These images help your doctor identify obstructions within your deep veins that are restricting the passage of blood.

Contrast Venography For Venous Imaging

Similar to helical CT scans, contrast venography uses x-rays to image the blood vessels in your legs. A contrast dye is introduced into your bloodstream near your ankle. X-rays are taken to display the deep veins and show areas in which the flow of the contrast is slowed.

While side effects of venography are rare, patients occasionally experience headaches, nausea, and vomiting. For this reason, despite its high degree of accuracy, it is only used when Doppler ultrasonography fails to produce a conclusive diagnosis.

Yaz deep vein thrombosis poses dangerous risks since clots can break away and travel to your heart and lungs. Unfortunately, symptoms may be absent, and thus women are often unaware the condition exists. If you have suffered blood clots, DVT, or other Yaz side effects, you may have the right to file a claim for compensation against the manufacturer. Contact an experienced Ocella lawsuit lawyer to discuss your case.