Pulmonary Emboli - A Serious Post-op Complication
Thursday, July 24, 2008
JC Jones MA RN
Pulmonary emboli - or clots in the lungs are very much on my mind these days. In the space of one month, two friends of mine, both young women (30's) who suffered large bone fractures ended up in ICU post-operatively due to life-threatening pulmonary emboli. This troubles me because it's a post-op complication that should be preventable in most cases.
Facts about pulmonary emboli (PE):
- Pulmonary embolism is the lodging of a thrombus from a distant site in the pulmonary circulation
- 650,000 cases occur in each year 50,000 resulting in death
- more lethal in women and the elderly
- 5 symptoms of (PE):
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
- Cough, coughing up blood
- Rapid breathing and heart rate
- 5 Risk Factors
- Trauma to the lower extremities
- Post-operative state
- Prolonged immobilization (including air travel)
- Use of estrogen containing BCP
- Obesity
Prevention is key - walking and getting active as soon as medically possible following illness or injury is imperative. Get the blood in your legs circulating. Talk to your doctor about prophylactic use of blood thinners.
Thank you brykmantra for use of photo Lubbock Heart Hospital.
Labels: pulmonary embolism
2 Comments:
At Tue Aug 19, 10:17:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
Considering both of these women had long bone fractures, the probability that these emboli were in fact fat emboli is very high. These are not post-op complications but rather sequelae following long bone fractures, most commonly 72 hrs after a femur fracture. These are not blood clots and thus blood thinners will not help; the same is true with ambulating faster (will help with prevention of blood clots). In the case of a fat embolus, the patient needs to be placed temporarily in the left lateral decubitus position and in trendelenburg (sp?). You are confusing these two clots and they have different etiology, different courses and different treatments
At Thu Aug 28, 08:38:00 AM 2008,
cindy said…
New P.E. patient, One thing I have learnered is everyone points the finger somewhere else. What I do know is my quick thinking ER doc saved my life, He also ordered a Factor v Lieden test the v is roman numural .Its tells us if we carry a gene that does not let our blood clot right. I urge all women to get it with there yearly exams .It makes everyone more prepared if any thing ever should happen . cindy
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