Pulmonology focuses on diagnosing and treating lung and airway conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, as well as overall respiratory health.
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A pulmonary embolism happens when a blood clot suddenly blocks one of the arteries in your lungs. Most often, these clots come from deep veins in the legs, but they can also come from other parts of the body. This is a serious emergency because the blockage stops blood from reaching the lungs, which can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. The lack of blood flow means less oxygen gets to the lung tissue and puts extra strain on the right side of the heart. At Liv Hospital, we recognize that pulmonary embolism is part of a group of conditions called venous thromboembolism, which also includes deep vein thrombosis. Knowing how these clots form, move, and affect the lungs is key to understanding why fast treatment is needed to restore blood flow and protect lung function.
The process starts in the deep veins, usually without any warning until a serious event happens.
The vast majority of pulmonary embolisms originate as deep vein thrombosis, typically in the lower extremity deep veins, such as the popliteal, femoral, or iliac veins. A thrombus forms due to stasis of blood, endothelial injury, or hypercoagulability. When a portion of this clot breaks loose, it becomes an embolus. This embolus travels through the venous system, passes through the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart, and is pumped into the pulmonary arteries. Because the pulmonary arteries branch into progressively smaller vessels, the embolus eventually becomes lodged, occluding blood flow. This occlusion creates a dead space where air enters the alveoli but cannot participate in gas exchange due to the lack of blood flow, leading to hypoxia.
The immediate impact of a pulmonary embolism is hemodynamic instability. The obstruction increases pulmonary vascular resistance, forcing the right ventricle to generate higher pressures to maintain forward flow. If the obstruction is significant, as seen in a massive pulmonary embolism or a saddle pulmonary embolism, the right ventricle may fail acutely. This right ventricular failure leads to decreased cardiac output, hypotension, and potential shock. The interventricular septum may bow toward the left ventricle, impairing its filling and further reducing systemic perfusion. This chain of physiological events explains why prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to survival.
Knowing whether the disease is sudden or long-term helps doctors decide how urgent the treatment should be and what type is needed.
At Liv Hospital, assessing each patient’s risk level is important for choosing the right treatment plan.
This type of clot is especially dangerous and can be life-threatening.
When clots are present in both lungs, the condition becomes much more serious.
Not every embolism causes tissue death, but when it does, the symptoms and treatment can change.
Pulmonary embolism is a major health problem around the world and causes many serious illnesses and deaths.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
A pulmonary embolism is defined as a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs, typically caused by a blood clot that has traveled from the deep veins of the legs.
No, a pulmonary embolism affects the lungs and the blood vessels leading to them. In contrast, a heart attack affects the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle, although both can cause chest pain and strain the heart.
A saddle pulmonary embolism is a large clot that lodges at the bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery, extending into both the left and right pulmonary arteries, often causing severe instability.
Yes, while most are acute, some clots do not dissolve and scar over time, leading to chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, a long-term condition affecting breathing and heart function.
DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, is the formation of a clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg, while PE, or pulmonary embolism, is the complication that occurs when that clot breaks off and travels to the lungs.
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