Consequences of a small pulmonary embolism | What are the consequences of a pulmonary embolism?

Consequences of a small pulmonary embolism

Small pulmonary embolisms are usually the result of thrombi (blood clots) that detach in small pieces from the vessel wall. These pulmonary embolisms rarely affect larger sections of the pulmonary vascular system. As a result, they do not present with acute symptoms.

Instead, the symptoms become gradually noticeable. Often the problems are initially only present when the patient is under stress. This results in reduced physical resilience, breathlessness and a faster pulse rate increase under stress.

Since the symptoms only become more obvious over time, the problem is usually explained by a lack of fitness and increasing age. Thus, small pulmonary embolisms are often diagnosed months to years after their onset. As a result, many of the damages caused by the small embolisms are irreversible (irreversible).

In contrast to larger thrombi, very small blood clots cannot usually be surgically removed from the pulmonary vessels. Instead, a so-called lysis therapy is performed. This involves the use of blood-thinning drugs to dissolve the clots. However, because the thrombi remain in the vessels for a long time, this dissolution is often no longer possible. Therefore, symptoms such as shortness of breath and reduced resilience persist even after diagnosis.

Consequences of bilateral fulminant pulmonary embolism

A fulminant pulmonary embolism is the name given to pulmonary embolism in its most severe form. A large thrombus (blood clot), which suddenly broke loose and washed into the lung, blocks the largest branches of the pulmonary vascular system. The blood clot can even be so large that the entire pulmonary artery is affected.

This results in three highly life-threatening complications: Since the lung has little or no blood supply, the entire body is no longer supplied with oxygen. As a result, various organs are damaged. The brain is particularly at risk.

The fact that the lungs can no longer be supplied with blood also has fatal consequences for the heart. The heart has to pump against an infinitely high pressure, which leads to cardiac arrest within minutes. If the blood clot can be removed quickly enough, the lung can still be totally destroyed. As long as the thrombus is blocking all lung vessels, the entire lung tissue is not supplied with blood. As a result, the individual cells are not supplied with oxygen and other nutrients for a certain time, which can lead to cell death and thus extensive tissue damage.