5 minute read
Pulmonary Embolism Awareness
Clot Warriors
PPulmonary embolism (PE) is the third-leading cause of cardiovascular death (following heart attack and stroke) in the United States, with an annual mortality of approximately 100,000 people per year.1 Acute pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency and should be addressed immediately by your doctor or local emergency department. A pulmonary embolism is caused when a blood clot breaks free in the deep veins of the body and travels through the venous system to become lodged in the pulmonary arteries. The blockage of blood flow results in significant strain on the right ventricle of the heart and it is unable to push blood past the clot. In severe cases, heart failure may occur leading to a fatal event.
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⊲ The most common symptoms of PE include:
• Sudden shortness of breath • Chest pain, usually worse with breathing • A feeling of anxiety • A feeling of dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting • Irregular heartbeat • Palpitations or heart racing • Sweating • Low blood pressure • Coughing up blood
⊲ Risk factors for PE include:
• Genetic conditions that increase the risk of blood clot formation • A family history of blood clotting disorders • Surgery or injury (especially to the legs) • Situations in which mobility is limited, such as extended bed rest, flying or riding long distances, or paralysis • Previous history of clots • Cancer and cancer therapy • Certain medical conditions, such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high blood pressure, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease • Certain medicines, such birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy • During and after pregnancy, including after cesarean section • Obesity • Enlarged veins in the legs (varicose veins) • Cigarette smoking
PULMONARY EMBOLISM AWARENESS
PE Prevention
Because PE (pulmonary embolism) is often caused by a blood clot that originally formed in the legs, and because it is often difficult to detect a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) before problems start, the prevention of DVTs is vital for the prevention of PE.
⊲ Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help with PE prevention, including:
• Engaging in regular exercise • Maintaining a healthy weight • Eating a balanced diet • Taking medicines as prescribed • Not smoking
⊲ After surgery the following methods are used to help prevent DVT’s:
• Compression stockings that squeeze or compress the veins and prevent blood from pooling • Pneumatic compression devices which are sleeves on the legs that provide alternating pressure on the legs to keep blood moving. • Getting up and moving as soon as possible after surgery or illness. Movement can help keep clots from forming by muscle pump action to assist with blood circulation. • Medicine, anticoagulants and aspirin are often given to help prevent DVT.
Many people remain at risk for developing DVTs for a period after they are discharged from the hospital. It is important that treatment to prevent DVTs continues until the risk has been resolved, usually about 3 to 6 months.
Comprehensive Treatment for Pulmonary Embolism at Dominican Hospital
Dominican is the first hospital in the Monterey Bay area to create a Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT)—a multidisciplinary team equipped to make complex and time-sensitive decisions regarding treatment of PE. This team comprises emergency medicine, pulmonary/ critical care medicine, interventional radiology, cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery in offering additional strategies to treat and resolve acute PE.
Treatment for pulmonary embolism include anti-coagulation (blood thinners) but patients that exhibit symptoms such as blood pressure instability and require supplemental oxygen to maintain adequate blood oxygen levels may be at high risk for death and may benefit from the additional therapies available at Dominican Hospital. These additional therapies include catheter-directed therapy (blood thinner is delivered directly to the blood clot in the lung), mechanical thrombectomy (the clot is removed from the pulmonary artery directly via catheter inserted into a peripheral blood vessel), surgical embolectomy (clot is removed in surgery) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) where blood is circulated through an external oxygenation device while the PE is treated. “These therapy advancements would not be possible without strong collaboration among our emergency, radiology, intensive care and cardiothoracic surgical teams here at Dominican,” comments Juan Rodriguez, MD, Medical Director of Interventional Radiology. “We’ve seen tremendous positive outcomes for many patients with very severe cases of PE.”
PULMONARY EMBOLISM AWARENESS
Chris and Alison Olsen, joined by their twin boys Ben and Sam.
Alison’s Story
As you have read on pg. 14, Alison Olsen experienced a PE post-surgery and subsequent life-saving treatment. She also shares her experience of the symptoms to be aware of. “The discomfort and pain that I was in can only be described as torturous. While recovering from surgery, the pulmonary embolism caused extreme chest pain and I had a searing headache causing me to be rushed to the emergency department and hospitalized. I was extremely anxious, and just wanted to get home to my twin two-year old sons. Unfortunately, because my body was receiving so little oxygen, my heart needed to keep up its increased activity, and I could not take anything to help me calm down and sleep. I was so weak that I was rendered breathless just by lifting up my cell phone in one hand to try to text my husband updates. I had been under observation for 24 hours to then be taken to Interventional Radiology for the thrombectomy.of my saddle pulmonary embolism. The relief was immediate and there may be no better sensation than the absence of pain. I am very grateful for Dr. Juan Rodriguez and the PERT team, and I want to thank you for helping me. I know that your work takes years of dedication, education, and training. Thank you for your commitment to your specialty, to our hospital, to our community, and to me as your patient."—Alison Olsen
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
We are grateful to our community of individuals, local organizations, and patients who partner with us to ensure a healthier tomorrow. Together, we provide the resources needed to offer the best medical care available at Dominican Hospital and in Santa Cruz County. Thank you for your commitment to philanthropy and caring.
TOGETHER, WE MAKE AN IMPACT.
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