Diseases of the pulmonary circulation
A pulmonary embolism is a narrowing or complete blockage (occlusion) of a pulmonary or bronchial artery by an embolus. An embolus is an endogenous or exogenous object that causes a narrowing of the vascular system (= embolism). There are various forms of pulmonary embolism, the main cause being thrombus embolism.
Approximately 90% of the embolus is a detached thrombus, e.g. a clot from a deep leg vein, but it can also originate from other vessels. Pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening under certain circumstances, as it leads to a limited oxygen supply. In addition, the right heart is put under excessive strain because it has to pump against increased pressure due to the narrowing of the blood vessels.
This leads to a so-called cor pulmonale. The pumping capacity of the heart is insufficient. This means that the lungs are no longer sufficiently supplied with blood and the organism consequently no longer receives sufficient oxygen.
A pulmonary embolism can manifest itself as chest pain, an increase in breathing rate and shortness of breath. Furthermore, the heart rate is greatly increased and symptoms such as dizziness, sweating and also fever can occur. Not all symptoms can be reliably diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.
In addition to imaging procedures (X-ray, CT), an ECG and/or echocardiography are usually also performed. The treatment of pulmonary embolism depends on the severity of the embolism. In most cases, anticoagulants (= blood thinners) are administered to prevent the formation of new thrombi.
The existing thrombus is usually removed by lysis therapy, i.e. by means of drugs that dissolve the thrombus. In severe cases, the thrombus can also be removed by means of a right-heart catheter or surgery. Learn more about this under: Causes of a pulmonary embolism
Anatomy of air conduction sections
Summary
All articles in this series:
