Pulmonary Embolic Disease

Joseph S Alpert, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002117

Pulmonary embolism is a serious medical condition in which blood clots (thrombi) are released into the venous circulation and eventually find their way to the pulmonary vascular bed. Most of these clots originate in the leg veins as the result of an episode of phlebitis. The larger the volume of blood clot in the pulmonary circulation, the greater is the obstruction to normal blood flow through the lungs and the greater the circulatory compromise. Massive pulmonary embolism is often fatal.

Keywords: pulmonary embolism; pathophysiology; diagnosis; treatment

 References
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Article Title: Pulmonary Embolic Disease
 
How to Cite close
Alpert, Joseph S(Apr 2001) Pulmonary Embolic Disease. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0002117]