A massive pulmonary embolism is a blockage of 50% or more in an artery of the lung, which can be caused by a blood clot or other substances. Symptoms include difficulty breathing and heart palpitations, and early diagnosis is crucial. Treatment may require surgery or blood-thinning medications.
A massive pulmonary embolism refers to a blockage in an artery of the lung, the primary artery or one of its branches. The object blocking the artery is referred to as an embolus and obstructs blood flow to the lungs and eventually the heart. A massive pulmonary embolism is a blockage of 50% or more in the artery. Pulmonary embolisms of any type can be fatal.
Unfortunately a common occurrence in cancer patients, bedridden patients, and other people with complications, a massive pulmonary embolism can potentially occur in healthy adults as well. Most people who are killed by pulmonary embolisms die within the first few hours of the event, making treatment especially time-critical. The problem is that early symptoms can commonly be mistaken for other simple ailments and often go undiagnosed.
In most cases, a pulmonary embolism is caused by a blood clot that originates in the leg and travels through the arteries to the lung. This is called venous thromboembolism, as a thrombus is a blood clot. In rarer cases, the embolism consists of air, fat or amniotic fluid. In both cases, the embolus blocks blood flow which can lead to collapse, very low blood pressure and even death.
Symptoms of massive pulmonary embolism are difficulty breathing and heart palpitations. These early symptoms are often overlooked because they are not serious. The clinical signs of a pulmonary embolism are a rapid heart rate and/or breathing, as well as low blood oxygen saturation. Cyanosis is a major warning sign of a pulmonary embolism in which the fingertips and lips begin to turn blue.
A doctor will often run tests to rule out pulmonary embolisms in patients. He or she may order a CTPA, which stands for computed tomography pulmonary angiogram. This is a medical diagnostic test that takes an image of the pulmonary arteries. The doctor can then see if there is any obvious blockage. A blood test that may also be administered is called a d-Dimer test and looks for protein fragments that are left over after a blood clot has dissolved.
Treatment of massive pulmonary embolism may require surgery in very severe cases. This is called a pulmonary thrombectomy and is an emergency surgery to remove blood clots from the pulmonary arteries. If the condition is not considered life-threatening, blood-thinning medications, such as the blood thinners warfarin and heparin, will be prescribed.
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