Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
Family history
- Is there a history of frequent cardiovascular disease in your family?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Do you sit a lot?
- Have you just taken a long-haul flight?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Have you noticed symptoms such as sudden shortness of breath or chest pain?*
- What additional symptoms have you noticed?
- In what context did the symptoms occur?
- Did you change by changing the position or similar? Improved?
- Have you had this symptomatology before?
- Have you noticed any pain, skin changes, etc. on a leg recently? Were there any other indications of thrombosis?
Vegetative history including nutritional history.
- Are you overweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you take enough liquid and how much?
- Do you get enough exercise every day?
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (blood clotting disorders; cardiovascular diseases; tumor diseases; injuries; bedriddenness).
- Surgeries (long duration of surgery?; blood transfusions?).
- Allergies
Medication history
- Antidepressants (amitriptyline/in patients > 70 L. J).
- Antipsychotics (neuroleptics) – chlorpromazine, clozapine, haloperidol, thioridazine.
- Diuretics [exsiccosis]
- Hormones
- Glucocorticoids (budenoside, cortisone, fluticasone, prednisolone).
- Oral estrogen therapy and estrogen-progestin therapy (note: higher risk of thromboembolism than with transdermal/patch application)
- Estrogens (ethinylestradiol, estradiol) – estrogen therapy as hormone replacement therapy (HT): increase in thromboembolic risk by: + 6 events per 10,000 women per year of use.
- Estrogen-progestin combinations (oral contraceptives: ethinyl estradiol + norethisterone / norgestrel derivative – especially in combination with smoking; hormone replacement therapy, HRT) in menopause: increase in thromboembolic risk by: + 17 events per 10,000 women per year of use.
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Data without guarantee)
