Most patients who are found to have a pulmonary embolism are started on a medication to prevent future clots. For years, the drug of choice has been warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist that decreases the level of clotting factors. This medication works well but is notoriously complicated to use, requiring frequent monitoring with blood draws… Read More…
In our latest Clinical Problem-Solving article, a 50-year-old woman presented with fatigue and shortness of breath. Dyspnea after moderate exertion had developed gradually, along with profound malaise and a nonproductive cough. In the 48 hours before admission, her shortness of breath had worsened. The clinicopathological syndrome of subacute cor pulmonale caused by tumor microemboli to… Read More…
Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis has been proven to reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism in both surgical patients and acutely ill medical patients. In surgical patients, thromboprophylaxis has been shown to reduce the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism and the rate of death from any cause; in medical patients, studies have shown that thromboprophylaxis is associated with… Read More…
Pulmonary embolism should be suspected in all patients who present with new or worsening dyspnea, chest pain, or sustained hypotension without an obvious alternative cause. The diagnostic workup should be tailored to the severity of the clinical presentation on the basis of whether the patient is hemodynamically stable or unstable. A review by Agnelli et… Read More…
