MEDRADSC 2I03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Pulmonary Embolism, World Health Organization, Pulmonary Circulation

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Medical Radiation Sciences
• Course: MEDRADSC 2I03
• Professor: Leslie Murray

Document Summary

Thrombo-embolic fragments circulate through the rt. side of the heart & lodge in the mpa or one of its branches. Most common pathologic condition involving the lungs of hospitalized patients. Silent (80% of pts have no symptoms) death. Thrombus can move, go into the heart, and cutoff blood circulation. Primary cancer of the lung, arises from the mucosa of the bronchial tree. 1/3 of patients with ca develop pulmonary mets. Starts as non- productive cough, progresses to hypoxemia, intubation if severe. Development of focal infiltrates and areas of consolidation. If less than 10% lung involvement on day. 95% arise from thrombi that arise in the deep venous system (in legs) b/c of venous stasis. Thrombi in the right side of the heart can embolize to the peripheral systemic arterial circulation, where they are trapped in the capillaries before they can return in the venous blood to the heart and the pulmonary circulation.