Approaches to deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in aging patients.

Deep venous thrombosis and its complication, pulmonary embolism, are common clinical problems in the elderly and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis on clinical grounds alone is notoriously unreliable, and objective tests are necessary to avoid overtreatment or undertreatment. Etiology, clinical evaluation and testing, diagnostic strategies, and prophylaxis are reviewed to present a current perspective on this serious problem.