pulmonary embolism

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Thân thiện

A doctor points to a diagram of a lung to explain a pulmonary embolism.

Definition

Noun:
- A blockage of the pulmonary artery: A serious medical condition where the pulmonary artery, which carries blood from the heart to the lungs, becomes obstructed.
- Cause of blockage: This obstruction is typically caused by a blood clot that has traveled from another part of the body (often a deep vein in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis) or, less commonly, by other foreign matter such as air, fat, or amniotic fluid.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- The patient was rushed to the hospital with a suspected pulmonary embolism.
- A pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.
- Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include sudden shortness of breath and chest pain.

Advanced Usage

"to suffer a pulmonary embolism": to experience this medical event.
- The long-haul flight increased his risk of suffering a pulmonary embolism.
"diagnosis/treatment of pulmonary embolism": referring to the medical identification or management of the condition.
- Advances in the treatment of pulmonary embolism have improved survival rates.

Variants and Related Words

Embolism (n): The general term for the blockage of a blood vessel by a traveling clot or other material. A pulmonary embolism is a specific type of embolism.
Embolus (n): The clot or particle that causes the blockage.
Thromboembolism (n): A condition where a blood clot (thrombus) breaks loose and causes an embolism elsewhere.

Synonyms

Related Phrases

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): A common precursor condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, often in the leg, which can then travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE): An umbrella term that includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

Notes

Pulmonary embolism is often abbreviated as PE in medical contexts.
It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized patients or those with limited mobility.

A doctor points to a diagram of a lung to explain a pulmonary embolism.

Noun