Pulmonary Embolism : Complications
Print
EmailHealthline's Premium Tools
Healthline Part D Plan Selector
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
Advertisement
Marketplace
Complications could include:
 |
Heart palpitations; Heart failure or shock; Severe breathing difficulty; Sudden death; Hemorrhage (usually a complication of thrombolytic or anticoagulation therapy; Pulmonary hypertension with recurrent pulmonary embolism.
|
 |
About 10% of patients with pulmonary embolism die suddenly within the first hour of onset of the condition. The outcome for all other patients is generally good; only 3% of patients who are properly diagnosed and treated die. In cases of undiagnos...
|
 |
Of patients hospitalized with an arterial embolism, 25–30% die, and 5–25% require amputation of a limb. About 10% of patients with a pulmonary embolism die suddenly within the first hour of onset of the condition. The outcome for all o...
|
|
Cardiogenic shock is a disease state where the heart is damaged enough that it is unable to supply sufficient blood to the body.
|
 |
Cor pulmonale is failure of the right side of the heart caused by prolonged high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and right ventricle of the heart.
|
|
Cor pulmonale is an increase in bulk of the right ventricle of the heart, generally caused by chronic diseases or malfunction of the lungs. This condition can lead to heart failure .
|
 |
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a disorder in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. The term "heart failure" should not be confused with cardiac arrest, a situation in which the heart actually stops beating.
|
|
Medicines can help your heart work better. But they can’t do their job unless you take them exactly as directed by your doctor. Some results: Medicines help you feel better. They help your heart work better. They can help you stay out of the hospital.
|
 |
Heart failure can happen in two ways. The heart muscle may become weak and enlarged (systolic dysfunction). The weakened muscle doesn’t pump enough blood forward when the ventricles contract. Or, the heart muscle may become stiff (diastolic dysfunction). The stiff muscle can’t relax between contractions, which keeps the ventricles from filling with enough blood.
|
 |
When you’re living with heart failure, it’s normal to feel sad or down at times. Some medications can also affect your mood. Following your treatment plan may seem like a lot to remember. If you feel overwhelmed, just focus on one day at a time.
|
 |
Once you have heart failure, flare-ups can happen. Gaining weight is often the first warning sign of trouble. That’s why you need to weigh yourself each day. But there are other signs of trouble, too. Here are some things to watch for.
|
 |
Being active doesn’t mean that you have to wear yourself out. Even a little movement each day helps to strengthen your heart. If you can’t get out to exercise, you can do simple stretching and strengthening exercises at home.
|
 |
Certain procedures may help in some cases of heart failure. They are done to treat health problems that are affecting your heart. Here are some examples.
|
 |
A sudden weight gain or a steady rise in weight is a warning sign that your body is retaining too much water and salt. This could mean your heart failure is getting worse. Weighing yourself each day is the best way to know if you’re retaining water.
|
 |
When you have heart failure, excess fluid is more likely to build up in your body. This makes the heart work harder to pump blood. Controlling the amount of salt (sodium) you eat may help prevent fluid from building up.
|
 |
To evaluate your condition, your doctor will examine you, ask questions, and run tests. Along with looking for signs of heart failure, the doctor looks for any other health problems that may have led to heart failure.
|
|
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body ' s tissues. With too little blood being delivered, the organs and other tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
|
|
"Heart failure" is a broad term- often used inter-changeably with "congestive heart failure" (CHF)- to describe the heart's inability to consistently pump enough blood to the body's organs and tissues. Heart failure occurs either from a structural or a functional abnormality.
|
 |
Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat. You may feel skipped or stopped beats. The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck.
|
|
A sensation in which a person is aware of an irregular, hard, or rapid heartbeat. Palpitations mean that the heart is not behaving normally.
|
|
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare lung disorder characterized by increased pressure in the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery carries oxygen-poor blood from the lower chamber on the right side of the heart (right ventricle) to the lungs where it picks up oxygen.
|
|
Respiratory failure is nearly any condition that affects breathing function or the lungs themselves and can result in failure of the lungs to function properly. The main tasks of the lungs and chest are to get oxygen from the air that is inhaled into the bloodstream, and, at the same to time, to eliminate carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) from the blood through air that is breathed out.
|
|
Respiratory failure occurs when the lungs ' ability to either add oxygen to the bloodstream or remove carbon dioxide from it is impaired. Respiratory failure can have any one of several causes, such as lung disease or infection , electrolyte imbalance, interruption of the nerve signals that regulate breathing or nervous system damage, structural (rib cage) collapse, or airway obstruction.
|
|
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an unexpected death due to heart problems, which occurs within one hour from the start of any cardiac-related symptoms. SCD is sometimes called cardiac arrest.
|
Table of Contents
 |
 |
Home | About | Health Experts | Careers | Site Map | Feedback | Help | Health Tools | Tell a Friend
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2005 - 2008 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.