Pulmonary Embolism Flashcards
Pulmonary embolism risk factors
obesity, venous stasis, vascular damage, hypercoagulability, smoking
Venous stasis
veins have problems moving blood back to the heart, caused by immobility/sedentary lifestyle
Vascular damage
damage that affects blood vessels ability to carry O2, nutrients, and waste, caused by trauma
What type of mismatch is PE
ventilation without perfusion
Pathophysiology of PE
thrombus in deep leg vein –> move to IVC in right side of heart –> pulmonary arterial circulation –> obstruction of blood flow through the lungs
What does clinical presentation of PE depend on
the size of the clot and degree of destruction
How are PE diagnosed
CT, MRI, ultrasound, D-dimer, ventilation-perfusion scan
D-dimer
figures out how fast the clot is forming
Ventilation perfusion (V-Q) scan
most efficient way to diagnose, finds the lack of circulation in the lungs where the PE is located
Prevention of PE
activity, compression socks, sequential compression device, elevate legs, avoid prolonged standing, avoid constricting garments
Treatment of PE
prophylactic and thrombolytic
Prophylactic treatment
drugs that interfere with clotting, heparin, warfarin, PT, aPTT, INR
Thrombolytic treatment
agents that destroy clots, TPA
