Pulmonary Embolism: Blood Clot in Lungs

Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lungs. This serious condition requires medical attention as the blockage can cause damage to the lungs and heart. Andrew Mihalek, MD, shares the causes, symptoms, and treatment for pulmonary embolism.

A pulmonary embolism, or a PE, is simply just a blood clot that occurs in the lungs. A great majority of people that suffer blood clots will present with shortness of breath, maybe some racing heart, maybe a little bit of chest pain. They come into the hospital. They’re evaluated, usually put on blood thinners, and able to be discharged in a timely manner.

A small group of patients, though, will go on to develop heart strain as a result of that. And that heart strain can come in different flavors. At the more severe side, we talk about people having massive PEs, or PEs that cause hemodynamic instability. It’s a nice way of saying that your heart suffers the consequences of that blood clot, and as a result of it, can’t do its job, which is provide blood pressure to the rest of your body.

Patients that present with massive PEs present with very low blood pressures. It’s a medical emergency. We have designed this multi-disciplinary group where many doctors can come to the table with expertise in their field, to help come up with a treatment plan that works for a patient in the short term, when they come into the hospital, and then also into the long term, when they’re dealing with the consequences of this disease over the next days, weeks, months, or years.

Here at the University of Virginia, we have surgical interventions that can be offered, where the clots are taken out by a cardiothoracic surgeon. We have an ECMO system, which is, essentially, a life-sustaining system for the heart and lungs while the body treats itself. We have interventional radiologists that can offer clot-busting medicine, directly at the site of the clot. We have the facilities of our intensive care units that are able to take care of the patients as they’re going through this very important and very serious time in their life.

[rafalIL]

I have many big blood clots in my leg. One day my leg swelled up so much and few hours later I was sure I was dying. Went to emergency and they found blood clots in my lungs too. That night I hade emergency surgery by vascular surgeon. I was never so scared in my life, but have to thank God, my surgeon and all nurses and Nurses assistant’s. They truly gave me back my faith in humanity and goodness in people.❤️❤️❤️

[conover]

I had this last year. At the age of 42. They removed 11 blood clots the size of my fingers. I also had a blood clot stuck in my A artery that blocked 100% of blood flow to the right side of my heart. It was the size of a grade A chicken egg. My symptoms were shortness of breath chest pain and I had felt like I had run a mile and I couldn’t catch my breath at all. I was taken to the hospital where I walked into the ER. The pressure in my heart was over 150. They didn’t know how I was awake and talking. Within three hours I was in the operating room. Then after I was in a bed for 12 hours on the clot buster. I only have one side effect. If I exert myself by simply running up at set of stairs I had to stop and catch my breath. My chances of survival was only 8%.

[Gusto]

Great succinct explanation. I lost my dad a week ago (90 yo) from PE. Low blood pressure in morning for 2 days, then heart failure overnight with blood coughed up. The whole sad experience has been an incredible & rapid education about PE which to be honest, I'd never heard about before.

[WeirdoTIM]

I am currently in hospital in the UK with this. It has caused major strain to my heart and I am currently undergoing intravenous treatments. If you have any symptoms please get this checked out immediately as this has caused me several complications. Take care everyone.

[krishnamoorthymoorthy]

He is coughing all the time and getting tired sweating a lot could not stand or sit more than 2 minutes please pray for him and my Life I started loving him at my 14years now I am 22 till now we're the same and will be too I really didn't even think that our life will bring this many problems please suggest some good hospitals in Chennai so that I can admit him and ask public to contribute what they can give

[jasonwebb]

I have always had high blood pressure. It's normally around 200/120 and every time we bring my blood pressure down to normal range, I get very light headed and feel like I'm going to pass out.
Well a couple weeks ago I was getting very sick and so sick in fact that I told my wife I had to go to the hospital. I knew I had pneumonia in my right lung, but I didn't know I had pneumonia in my left as well. The doctor came in and asked me what brought me in, this was after they done did X-Ray's and a cat scan.
I told the doctor that I was 100% sure I had pneumonia. She jumped my butt and said yes in both lungs and you have bi-lateral clots in your lungs. You should have came in a week ago!! I said well hell I can't afford to just go to the hospital when I don't feel good. She said to me that I was on the verge of dying and to shut up.
I threw a blood clot and it hit my heart and almost killed me. I was lucky and the doctor was talking to me when it happened. They aren't anything to play with and she said that this was the best outcome. She said had the clot went to my brain, I would've had a stroke.
I still don't feel good and I'm not sure if I want to go back to the hospital again or not. Take care and peace out.

[calvinjefferson]

I experienced a massive blood clot on my left lung back in 2015. Coughing up dark red blood shortness of breath and it feels like someone is stabbing you in your lung.Really a harsh and painful feeling to experience.That was the symptoms that occur warning you of the clot.

[Ladybbfamily]

Will blood thinner stop a traveling blood clot ?

[syedali]

Any budy wana know can a person exercise beside having embolism

[mollymanman]

I have a massive PE in my lung that traveled from my heart the doctors here in Indiana can it remove it they dont know how... they put me on a blood thinner and basically wished me luch... I've been in the hospital for a week straight with a fever of up to 103.3 and a heart rate consistently over 125. I have a son who is not even one yet I dont want to die can you please help me!!!

[stuclarke]

What are the the percentage of somebody dying from this obviously treatment

[lekkixalxo]

My dad has blood clots with discoloration on his inner thigh region, arm and chest. Local doctor said it's because of high dosage intake of ticagrelor. Could this be DVT??? I'm really scared. I wanna take precautions as this happened few days ago. Pls reply at the earliest.

[alwayspremzz]

One of my relatives had already undergone for a treatment for this and again clots are recurring. Why is this happened even after taking medication and got cured?

[Adn]

Is it possible to get it after being hit by a person 5-8 times stronger than you in the chest/lung area ?

[Nandan]

Sir I am taking rivaraxoban for PE and carbamazepine 450 mg for epilepsy..do they interact with each other.please guide sir

[ImChamp_]

I have this rn, most painful experience of my life

[ayurshiduttagupta]

Can excessive exercise cause shortness of breath it is indicate blood clot in lung plz reply...

[krishnamoorthymoorthy]

We are love marriage i am 21yrs old My husband before marriage had DVT since 2017 now he had developed PE had a severe stomach pain been hospitalized on May and now he's agian getting severe pain he has lost 12kgs in 2months I'm having a 4month baby girl now pledged all my jewels for treatment even seeked help from relatives and now all others are not ready to help please what shall I do

[judyoningu]

Sad that my mum died due to this coz of the doctors negligence😢

[gunnarkeith]

what’s the seriousness when you have bacteria pneumonia and a blood clot in your lungs hospitalized