Astronaut Successfully Treated for Jugular Blood Clot in Space

RandomFactor writes:

In a telemedicine case that would have been handled routinely on Earth, but a first for space medicine, an astronaut two months into a six month stint on the International Space Station was diagnosed and treated for a blood clot in the jugular vein.

According to Dr. Maja Zaric, a cardiologist familiar with the case, "The size and proximity of the...clot to the heart could have easily put [the crew member] into harm's way."

Although the astronaut showed no symptoms of vein blockage -- no headache or facial redness -- the jugular vein was abnormally "prominent" during a physical exam, and a follow-up ultrasound confirmed a clot.

There are two pairs of jugular veins that normally carry deoxygenated blood back from the head and neck to be pumped through the heart and lungs. While not optimal, blood will drain through the other in the event of restricted flow through one (there are rare conditions where individuals have only one, or even an extra, jugular vein).

After multiple "telemedicine" discussions with medical staff back on Earth, it was decided that the astronaut would be treated with the blood thinner enoxaparin (Lovenox), 20 vials of which had been part of the space station's medical kit.

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