Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a medical condition that may cause a patient to experience dyspnea. A patient with this illness has his main pulmonary artery, or one of the branches of it, blocked. If you're wondering what a pulmonary artery is, it's another name for lung artery. Generally, it is a blood clot that goes through the bloodstream and causes this blockage, but it is possible for other things to lead to a PE.

Symptoms

The dyspnea that shows up in up pulmonary embolism occurs suddenly. An increased breathing rate can also occur. The patient might cough, and that can include coughing up blood. Pain can occur in the chest, and intensify with breathing. The patient might also experience a minor fever. In instances that are more serious, a blue or purple coloration may affect the skin, mainly the fingers and lips. This is known medically as cyanosis. Fluid may build up in the peritoneal cavity -- this is known as ascites. This list is not exhaustive, so other symptoms may also be present.

Causes

Having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common cause of pulmonary embolism. This condition is where a blood clot form in what are known as a deep vein. If the clot dislodges from its location, then it may travel through the blood stream and cause the previously-mentioned blockage. DVT itself has particular risk factors, one of which is having recently gone through surgery.

Diagnosis

Pulmonary embolism diagnosis is made based off of particular criteria, as well as certain tests. There are multiple types of criteria that are used. At the time of writing, the method that is most frequently employed is known as the Wells score. Blood tests may include D-dimer, full blood count, and others. Pulmonary angiography can be used as an imaging method, although a CT scan is also an option. Other diagnostic options also exist.

Treatment

Please talk with a doctor, and don't use the information found here to try to choose a method for treatment. The details on this site are not professional in their nature. Typically, an anticoagulant will be used to treat PE. Surgery is performed in some cases. In certain cases of what is known as massive pulmonary embolism, a treatment called thrombolysis might be used. It is intended to break down the blood clot which led to the blockage.