Pulmonary Embolism Lecture Notes

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to Pulmonary Embolism, including definitions of medical terms, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and management.

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

Blockage of one or more pulmonary arteries by a thrombus, fat, air embolus, or tumor tissue.

Virchow's Triad

A classification of risk factors for venous thromboembolism, including venous stasis, hypercoagulability, and vascular injury.

Saddle Embolus

A large coiled central clot extending into and obstructing both pulmonary arteries.

Dyspnea

Difficulty or labored breathing.

Tachypnea

Abnormally rapid breathing.

Hemoptysis

Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.

Right Ventricular Failure

Failure of the right side of the heart to pump blood adequately due to increased workload from pulmonary hypertension.

D-dimer

A fibrin degradation product used in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

IVC Filter

A device placed in the inferior vena cava to prevent clots from traveling to the lungs.

Pulmonary Infarction

Tissue death in the lungs due to lack of blood supply, often as a complication of pulmonary embolism.