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Pulmonary thrombosis, also known as pulmonary embolism, occurs when a clot, or thrombus, clogs a vessel in the lung, preventing the passage of blood and causing the progressive death of the affected part, resulting in symptoms such as pain when breathing and severe shortness of breath .
Due to difficulty in breathing and lung damage, the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases and organs throughout the body can be affected, especially when there are multiple clots or when the thrombosis lasts for a long time, causing massive embolism or pulmonary infarction .
Thus, pulmonary thrombosis is a serious condition that, whenever suspected, should be evaluated and treated as soon as possible in the hospital with medications directly in the vein, oxygen and, in some cases, surgery.
Main symptoms
The most common symptom of pulmonary thrombosis is the intense sensation of shortness of breath, which may appear suddenly or worsen over time, depending on the size of the affected lung area.
However, other symptoms may also be present:
- Severe chest pain;
- Rapid breathing;
- Coughing up blood;
- Bluish skin, especially on fingers and lips;
- Palpitations;
- Feeling faint.
The intensity of the symptoms may vary according to the size of the clot and the duration of the thrombosis. Whenever there is shortness of breath, severe chest pain or bloody cough, it is always very important to go to the hospital to identify the cause and start treatment, as these are symptoms that are usually associated with more serious problems. Check out a more complete list of all symptoms.
What can cause pulmonary thrombosis
Pulmonary thrombosis is usually caused by a blood clot, or thrombus, which travels from another part of the body to the lung, becoming trapped and preventing the passage of blood to a part of the lung.
Some factors that increase the risk of having clots and developing this problem include:
- History of deep vein thrombosis;
- Family history of pulmonary thrombosis;
- Fractures in the legs or hips;
- Coagulation problems;
- History of heart attack or stroke;
- Obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
Thrombosis can also be caused by other, rarer causes, such as air bubbles, in the case of pneumothorax, or in the presence of fragments capable of obstructing a blood vessel, such as fat droplets, for example. Learn how fat can cause a fat embolism.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of pulmonary thrombosis should be done at the hospital with injectable anticoagulant drugs, such as Heparin, to dissolve the clot and allow blood to pass again. In more serious cases, drugs called thrombolytics can be used, which are extremely effective in quickly dissolving thrombi.
The doctor may also prescribe painkillers, such as Paracetamol or Tramadol, to relieve chest pain and facilitate breathing, in addition to the fact that it is usually necessary to use the oxygen mask to assist breathing and blood oxygenation.
Normally, you need to be hospitalized for at least 3 days, but in the most severe cases or when it was not possible to use drugs to dissolve the clot, it may even be necessary to have surgery to remove this thrombus, called an embolectomy, and, therefore, hospitalization may last for more days.
Can pulmonary thrombosis be cured?
Pulmonary thrombosis, despite being a medical emergency and situation, when it is treated correctly and quickly has good chances of cure and does not always leave sequelae. The most common sequel to this situation is the decrease in oxygen in a given region, which can lead to the death of these tissues and problems in the affected organ.
Possible sequelae
Most of the time, pulmonary embolism is treated in a timely manner and, therefore, there are no serious sequelae. However, if the treatment is not done correctly or if there is a very large area of the affected lung, very serious sequelae such as heart failure or cardiac arrest can occur, which can be life-threatening.