My husband fell at work while descending on a ladder. His foot slipped through the rung of the ladder causing him to fall backwards while his leg was tangled in the ladder. He thought he was ok... a little sore ... only a small bruise on the knee. However... we started noticing swelling in his calf & the leg feels warm. Each day since the accident, his calf has become more & more painful, red & swollen. It s been 4 days now & quite a lot of bruising has developed around his knee & ankle even though the pain is primarily in his calf. Should he see a doctor... or is this normal healing??
It sounds to me that the pain and redness around the calf only started 24 hours after the fall. If so, it might not be related to the initial fall itself. In my consult I would be worried of deep vein thrombosis which developed due to an injury to the vein and precipitated by a period of immobilization post-fall. I would examine to see if it is only localized to the calf or if it has extended to the thigh. Also I need to examine the lungs to make sure it has not dislodged and travelled to the lungs, causing an obstruction. To confirm my diagnosis I would order a Doppler ultrasound plus other investigations as indicated. The treatment if the diagnosis is confirmed is to start on blood thinners and observe his condition until the clot has dissolved. He would probably have to be investigated to as why he is prone to develop such clots in the first place.