phlebitis - Signs and Symptoms, Phlebitis in popular culture

Inflammation of a vein, commonly associated with varicose veins. It often arises in association with thrombosis of the blood within veins, when it is referred to as thrombophlebitis. The veins of the leg are commonly affected, and the disorder may follow childbirth, a surgical operation, or stagnation of the blood from a prolonged dependency on the legs, such as during a long journey. Severe degrees of phlebitis may lead to ulceration of the overlying skin and oedema of the affected leg. The most important complication is embolism, especially to the lung.

Phlebitis
Classifications and external resources

ICD-10	I80
ICD-9	451

Phlebitis is an inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs.

When phlebitis is associated to the formation of blood clots (thrombosis), usually in the deep veins of the legs, the condition is called thrombophlebitis.

Signs and Symptoms

Redness (erythema) and warmth with a temperatue elevation of a degree or more above the baseline Pain or burning along the length of the vein Swelling (edema) Vein being hard, and cordlike If occuring due to an intravenous infusion line, then slowed infusion rate

Phlebitis in popular culture

In the Futurama episode A Head In The Polls, the head of Richard Nixon comments that his body was flabby, had pasty skin, and was riddled with phlebitis. In The Simpsons episode Bart Gets an F, the school nurse believes Bart has phlebitis. In All in the Family episode Too Good Edith, Edith has phlebitis. Peter Boyle's character on Everybody Loves Raymond suffers from phlebitis. In King Of The Hill, when Mr. Strickland took bible study class in the pool with Luanne, Hank noted that it was "good for his phlebitis". In the M*A*S*H episode "The Young and the Restless", Colonel Potter suffers through a bout of phlebitis, aggravated by his initial refusal to acknowledge his condition.