Thursday, March 3, 2011

All You Need to Know About Pulmonary Embolism

News about Pulmonary Embolism

       Serena Williams recuperating after blood clot in  lungs 

            By Douglas Robson, Special for USA TODAY

The 13-time major winner was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for the removal of a hematoma, or internal hemorrhage. That followed the discovery and treatment last week of a blood clot in her lungs.
Williams has not played a WTA match since injuring her right foot just days after winning Wimbledon in July.
The clot, known as a pulmonary embolism, surfaced during her return to Los Angeles following doctor appointments in New York for ongoing issues with her foot.- to read more go to USA Today Tennis


    Pulmonary Embolism is a condition where in the main artery of the lung or any of its branches is blocked by an embolus.An embolus could be a blood clot,air, fat,or amniotic fluid which could have travelled else where in the body through the blood stream to the lungs.

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism
  1. Chest pain on inspiration
  2. difficulty of breathing
  3. palpitations
  4. dyspnea - shortness of breath
  5. tachypnea- rapid breathing
  6. chest pain
  7. cough
  8. hemoptysis - coughing of blood
In sever cases, pulmonary embolism could lead to
  1. abnormally low blood pressure
  2. collapse
  3. sudden death

Factors that could lead to Pulmonary embolism known as the Virchow's Triad
  1. alteration in blood flow
       -due to surgery, injury, or long air travel,pregnancy, obesity and cancer
  2. factors in the vessel wall
  3. factors affecting the properties of the blood like
      - hormonal contraception with estrogen
      - genetic thrombophilia
      - acquired thrombophilia
      - cancer

Treatment
  1. anticoagulant drugs like warfarin and heparin
  2. thrombolysis with drug like tissue plasminogen activator
  3. pulmonary thrombectomy - a surgical intervention


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