NBC’s David Bloom was on assignment in Iraq when he passed away on April 6, 2003. The war correspondent had prepared for every possible danger, but the way he died shocked his family and the world.
The cause of death was a complication from deep vein thrombosis. A blood clot that started in Bloom’s legs — likely brought on in part by spending long days inside cramped armored vehicles — traveled to his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism, a sudden blockage in a lung artery.
His widow, Melanie, calls it “the bomb that lay within his own body.”
“Just a few days before he died, he called me and told me he was sleeping on tank’s fender because he had leg cramps,” she tells TODAY.com.
“He just couldn’t sleep with the shooting pains in his legs. Neither of us realized at the time that these cramps could have been an early sign of deep vein thrombosis.”
Bloom, 39, collapsed while embedded with the U.S. military’s 3rd Infantry Division as it rolled north toward Baghdad. He left behind his wife and their three young daughters.
Twins Christine and Nicole Bloom, now 29, and their sister, Ava Bloom, now 23, shared some of his last words to them as they marked the 20th anniversary of Bloom’s death in April 2023.
The year Bloom died, a study showed 74% of Americans were completely unaware of DVT, his widow previously told TODAY.com.
“I had never heard of DVT myself and I don’t think David ever had. The more I learned, the more shocked I was. It wasn’t an IED or a bomb that took his life. It was this DVT,” she said.
Twenty years later, there’s more awareness about deep vein thrombosis thanks to the efforts of his family, who established March as National DVT Awareness Month. His widow has become a leading advocate for spreading the word about the dangers of the condition.
It can happen after a long flight or if you’ve had surgery. Here is what to know about your risk and how to prevent blood clots from developing.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
It happens when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, but sometimes also in the arm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That may cause permanent damage to the valves in the vein and lead to long-term problems such as pain, swelling and leg sores, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warned.
If the blood clot breaks free, it can travel through the bloodstream and block blood flow to the lungs — a rare but potentially fatal complication, the organization noted.
Who is at risk for DVT?
The condition affects up to 900,000 Americans each year, the CDC says.
Blood clots can happen to anyone, but some factors increase the risk such as obesity, older age and a family history of DVT.
The biggest risk factors include:
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Suffering injury to a vein — which can happen during surgery or if you break a bone in your leg.
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Slow blood flow — caused by sitting for a long time, on a transoceanic flight, for example, especially with crossed legs; or being confined to a bed after recovering from surgery or because of another medical condition.
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Increased estrogen — due to birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy or pregnancy.
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Chronic illness — including heart disease, lung disease, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
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Clotting disorder — Bloom’s autopsy revealed he had factor V Leiden, his widow noted, a hereditary gene mutation that can increase a person’s chance of developing abnormal blood clots. The condition is common, Dr. Geoff Barnes, vascular medicine specialist at University of Michigan, said in an Oct. 27 segment on TODAY. One in 20 people who have Western European ancestors could have this inherited disorder, he noted.
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Being dehydrated
What are the symptoms of DVT?
About half of people with deep vein thrombosis have no symptoms, which is why it’s been called a “silent killer,” according to the National Institutes of Health.
If warning…
Read More: David Bloom’s sudden death was caused by a ‘silent killer.’ Know the signs