The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes a pulmonary embolism (PULL-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm), or PE, as a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The blockage usually is due to a blood clot that traveled to the lung from a vein in the leg.

In most cases, PE is a complication of a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In DVT, blood clots form in the deep veins of the body-most often in the legs. These clots can break free, travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, and block an artery. A clot that forms in one part of the body and travels in the bloodstream to another part of the body is called an embolus (EM-bo-lus).

Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can cause permanent damage to the affected lung, low oxygen levels in the blood, and damage to other organs from lack of oxygen. If a clot is large, or if there are many clots, pulmonary embolism can cause death.

At least 100,000 cases of PE occur each year in the United States, making it the third most common cause of death in hospitalized patients. If left untreated, about 30 percent of patients who have PE will die. Most of those who die do so within the first few hours of the event. Symptoms of a blood clot include warmth, swelling, pain, tenderness and redness of the leg.

Unfortunately, half the people who have pulmonary embolism have no symptoms. A delay in diagnosing and treating large clots or many clots may result in respiratory arrest and death. Doctors can use a number of tests to help diagnose PE, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lung ventilation/perfusion scans, pulmonary angiography, blood tests, echocardiograms, electrocardiograms (EKGs), and chest x-rays. Doctors and other healthcare providers who fail to diagnose and treat blood clots such as thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism may be responsible for patient injuries and deaths resulting from their delay. A Portland, Oregon, medical malpractice lawyer can evaluate your medical records and help you determine whether or not you may be able to recover compensation.

If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. If you or loved ones believe that a failure to diagnose or treat pulmonary embolism has occurred, contact Portland, Oregon, personal injury lawyer and medical malpractice attorney Dane E. Johnson directly at (503) 975-8298 or online for a consultation at no cost.