Which of the following is a venous complication commonly associated with immobility?

• A. Decubitus ulcer
• B. Hypo pneumonia
• C. Atelectasis
• D. Deep Vein Thrombosis

Answer: (D)

Immobilization slows blood flow in the legs, creating venous stasis that favors clot formation in the deep veins. This makes deep vein thrombosis the most common venous complication linked with being immobile, because the stagnant flow sets the stage for a thrombus to develop in the deep leg veins.

A DVT can present with leg swelling, warmth, tenderness, or may be asymptomatic, and it carries the important risk that a clot could break free and travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Prevention focuses on promoting blood flow and reducing clotting risk: getting patients moving as able, performing leg exercises, using compression devices, staying hydrated, and following physician-directed prophylactic anticoagulation if indicated.

Other listed problems are not venous complications. Pressure ulcers arise from prolonged pressure compromising tissue perfusion, while hypostatic pneumonia and atelectasis result from shallow breathing and poor lung expansion during immobility. These are pulmonary issues, not venous ones.