A pulmonary embolism or PE is a blood clot in a blood vessel in the lung. This condition is precipitated by a clot from another part of the body (often a limb) travelling through the veins to the lung. A PE throttles blood flow to the lungs, lowers oxygen levels in the lungs and pushes up blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries.
This is an absolute medical emergency and without prompt treatment, a PE can cause heart or lung damage and even loss of life. Nearly 33% people suffering a PE, succumb to the condition before a diagnosis and treatment. A PE can damage the lungs or cause heart failure.

Common symptoms of PE are:

Shortness of breath: One can feel breathless even while resting and it gets worse with physical activity.
Chest pain: The feeling often mimics a heart attack and there’s sharp pain when you breathe in deeply. You may also feel the pain while coughing, bending or leaning over.
Losing consciousness: If the heart rate or the blood pressure drops suddenly, one might faint, a condition called syncope.

Other symptoms include:

Coughing blood-streaked mucus.
Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
Sweating profusely.
Fever
Pain or/and swelling in the leg, usually in the back of the lower leg.
Clammy or discoloured skin, referred to as cyanosis.

Risk factors for PE

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or having a blood clot in the leg.
Being inactive for long periods like when travelling in a plane or car.
Have recently suffered a trauma or injury to a vein, maybe from surgery, varicose veins or a fracture.
If you are using birth-control pills or undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
Have a blood-clotting disorder.
Have a family history of blood clots.
If you smoke.
Are a diabetic.
Have cancer.
You are 60-plus.
Have a history of heart failure, heart attack or stroke.
If you are obese.
Are pregnant or given birth in the previous six weeks.
Received a central venous catheter through the arm or leg.

How is PE treated

How is PE treated?

Blood thinners: Anticoagulants or blood thinners are medicines that reduce the ability of blood to clot. This helps clots from increasing in size and keep new clots from forming.
Fibrinolytic therapy: Used in life-threatening situations, these IV-administered medicines are also called clot-busters, used to break down clots.
Vena cava filter: A small metal device placed in the vena cava (the large blood vessel that returns blood from the body to the heart) can be used to stop the clots from travelling to the lungs. These filters are usually used when you can’t receive anticoagulation treatment due to a medical condition or developed more clots even with anticoagulant therapy, or when you have bleeding issues from anticoagulation treatment.
Pulmonary embolectomy: This is a surgery to remove a very large PE and is rarely done, only in cases where anticoagulation therapy can’t be administered because of other medical problems or the patient hasn’t responded well to those treatments.
Percutaneous thrombectomy: In this X-ray-guided procedure, a catheter is threaded through the blood vessel to the site of the embolism. When the catheter is in place, it is used to break up the embolism, extract it or dissolve it with thrombolytic medicine.