What's the prognosis for a person diagnose with a pulmonary embolism of the lungs.?
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depends where the embolism is really. And how large it is. Im assuming youre on blood thinners (also assuming its you who has the embolism)
First off, an embolism is a clot that has formed somewhere in the body (most commonly in the femoral veins in the thighs) and broke loose to travel through the blood stream and lodged in your case in the lungs.
Depending on wether or not the clot breaks loose again and also depending on what said blood vessel traveling clot occludes, any number of things can happen. The most likely answer is Stroke. The severity of any stroke depends again on which vessel is blocked and where. The brain for example is a common place for clots to lodge. A lack of oxygen caused by inadequate blood flow will cause cells to become starved and to eventually die. If and when enough cells die, their organ will start to die itself and so on and so fourth.
Its not a pretty picture, but please keep in mind, i list one if the worst possible scenarios. Im not predicting what will necessarily happen to you.
Its possible that any clot may be "busted" with the use of thrombolytics or sugrically removed. Have hope, medicine can do many amazing things these days.
It varies - Depends on how big the embolism (clot) is, how many there are, how big of a vessel is affected, etc.
But...generally patients that get to a doctor and are diagnosed quickly enough to get additional oxygen given to them effectively do well. They are usually in the hospital for several days on blood thinners and need to take blood thinners for at least 6 months after.
i don't think this is something you are diagnosed as having. i think this is more like something you are diagnosed to have had...like when you WERE alive. blood clots suddenly move into position (after traveling usually from your legs where they formed) blocking your pulmonary arteries and blocking oxygen to your heart. you drop dead, literally.
Pulmonary embolism is an obstruction of the pulmonary ( lung) artery or one of its branches in the lung by an embolus, usually a blood clot that originated in the vein in the leg or pelvis as a complication of DVT ( deep vein thrombosis). If the embolus is large enough to block the main pulmonary artery leading from the heart to the lungs, or if there are many clots( embolism), the condition is life-threatening. Pulmonary embolism affects about twice as many women as men due to : recent surgery, pregnancy, and immobility ( lack of exercise, bed ridden). PE ( pulmonary embolism) is responsible for 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The prognosis will depend on the size and severity of the embolus.A small embolus gradually resolves but there is a risk of more emboli developing. Anticoagulant drugs,such as heparin and coumadin ( "blood thinners") are usually given to reduce the clotting ability of the blood and to reduce the chance of more clots occurring. If the embolus is large, an emergency operation may be necessary to remove it. The prognosis( recovery) will depend on the severity of the complication and the use of " blood thinners". In my experience, a PE can happen suddenly without any warning to respond with treatment and it is usually life-threatening. But, not always. It depends on the size of the clot, the immediate response of the " code team", any other factors IE: overweight, recent surgery, the acute onset of confusion and delirium, shortness of breath can all be indicators of a pulmonary embolism. I hope that this has helped shed some light as to the process/prognosis. There are several factors that can change the overall picture/prognosis.
very poor. any patient i have ever had with PE has died
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