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Pulmonary Embolism – Overview

March 15, 2021
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What is a pulmonary embolism? A pulmonary embolism is a serious medical condition caused by blockage of the arteries in the lungs by a blood clot. An associated condition is deep vein thrombosis or DVT, which is caused by a blood clot in the veins of the arms or legs. A DVT by itself usually doesn’t cause significant symptoms, but can progress to a pulmonary embolism, which is a much more serious medical condition. Pulmonary embolism and DVT often present at the same time or as individual diseases. Presentation of pulmonary embolism is typically acute in onset with sudden onset of shortness of breath and sharp pleuritic type chest pain with deep inspiration. Other signs such as swelling in the arms and legs can suggest a concurrent DVT. Symptoms can be similar to other emergent cardiopulmonary conditions such as a heart attack. And immediate workup and evaluation in emergency room is necessary. If you are having symptoms suggestive of a pulmonary embolism, it’s important to seek emergency care immediately. Less commonly, the presentation can be subtle, with worsening shortness of breath and mild chest pain occurring over days to even weeks.

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