Pulmonary Embolism
Basics
Description
Description
- The majority of pulmonary embolisms (PEs) arise from thrombi in the deep veins of the lower extremities and pelvis
- Thrombi also originate in renal and upper-extremity veins
- After traveling to lungs, the size of the thrombus determines signs and symptoms
Etiology
Etiology
- Most patients with PE have identifiable risk factor:
- Recent surgery
- Pregnancy
- Previous deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/PE
- Stroke or recent paraplegia
- Malignancy
- Age >50 yr
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Oral contraceptives
- Major trauma
- Hematologic risk factors:
- Factor V Leiden
- Protein C or S deficiency
- Antithrombin III deficiency
- Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome
- Lupus anticoagulant
Pediatric Considerations
- Thromboembolic disease is quite rare
- Risk factors in children:
- Presence of central venous catheter
- Immobility
- Heart disease
- Trauma
- Malignancy
- Surgery
- Infection
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Pulmonary Embolism." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 6th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307411/all/Pulmonary_Embolism.
Pulmonary Embolism. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307411/all/Pulmonary_Embolism. Accessed January 15, 2025.
Pulmonary Embolism. (2020). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307411/all/Pulmonary_Embolism
Pulmonary Embolism [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, Wolfe RER, Barkin AZA, Shayne PP, Rosen PP, editors. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. [cited 2025 January 15]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307411/all/Pulmonary_Embolism.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Pulmonary Embolism
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BT - 5-Minute Emergency Consult
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