Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary embolism is blockage in one or more arteries in your lungs. Maggie Trainor

Affected parts of the Respiratory System Arteries in the lungs Marked by: shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing

Causes Pulmonary embolism occurs when a clump of material, most often a blood clot, gets wedged into an artery in your lungs. These blood clots most commonly originate in the deep veins of your legs, but they can also come from other parts of your body. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Treatment Clot removal- if the body is in shock, a catheter can be used to remove the clot Vein filter- catheter is used to place a filter in the inferior vena cava to catch blood clots Surgery- uncommon; if the body is in shock, a doctor can recommend attempting to remove the clots through surgery

Pharmacology Anticoagulants- heparin and warfarin (Coumadin) prevent new clots from forming Risks are bleeding and easy bruising. Clot dissolvers (thrombolytics)- clots normally dissolve on their own, but these can be used in life- threatening situations. Risk of sudden and severe bleeding.

Progression and Recovery Can be life-threatening Damage to the lung Highest risk for having another embolism is in the first few weeks after the episode Could be at risk for years or months depending on the cause