PULMONARY EMBOLISM

A PULMONARY EMBOLISM OR PE, IS A CONDITION WHEN ONE OR MORE ARTERIES IN THE LUNGS BECOME BLOCKED. THIS IS CAUSED BY BLOOD CLOTS THAT TRAVEL TO THE LUNGS FROM OTHER BODY PARTS, USUALLY THE LEGS. THIS IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS OR DVT.

SYMPTOMS

SYMPTOMS OF A PE USUALLY INCLUDE A SUDDEN SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST PAIN, AND A COUGH THAT MAY PRODUCE A BLOOD-TINGED SPUTUM.

TESTS

ONE OF THE FIRST TEST TO CHECK FOR A PE IS A BLOOD TEST CALLED D-DIMER. THIS TEST CAN SUGGEST THE LIKELIHOOD OF BLOOD CLOTS. IF A PE IS SUSPECTED, A NUCLEAR MEDICINE TEST, A VENTILATION-PERFUSION SCAN OR V/Q SCAN, CAN ALSO BE ORDERED. THE V/Q SCAN USES SMALL AMOUNTS OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL TO STUDY THE AIR AND BLOOD FLOW TO THE LUNGS. AN CTA CHEST SCAN IS A MORE PRECISE TEST TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE PE. AFTER I.V. CONTRAST IS INJECTED AT A RATE OF 3-5 ML PER SECOND A HELICAL SCAN IS PERFORMED. AXIAL, CORONAL, AND SAGITTAL IMAGES ARE USED TO DIAGNOSE A PE.

TREATMENT

A PE IS USUALLY TREATED WITH MEDICATION. BLOOD THINNING ANTICOAGULANTS ARE THE MOST COMMON. IF THE BLOOD CLOT IS NOT DISSOLVING ON ITS OWN, THROMBOLITICS CAN BE GIVEN TO HELP THE BLOOD CLOT DISSOLVE MORE QUICKLY. IF A PATIENT CAN NOT BE GIVEN MEDICATION, A VEIN FILTER IS SOMETIMES PLACED IN THE INFERIOR VENA CAVA TO HELP PREVENT ANY BLOOD CLOTS FROM REACHING THE LUNGS.