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| | Pulmonary embolism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (via CobWeb/3.1 planet03.csc.ncsu.edu) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-18) |
 | | Signs of PE are sudden-onset dyspnea (shortness of breath, 73%), tachypnea (rapid breathing, 70%), chest pain of "pleuritic" nature (worsened by breathing, 66%), cough (37%), hemoptysis (coughing up blood, 13%), and in severe cases, cyanosis, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), hypotension, shock, loss of consciousness, and death. |
 | | In massive PE, dysfunction of the right side of the heart can be seen on echocardiography (EKG), an indication that the pulmonary artery is severely obstructed and the heart is unable to match the pressure. |
 | | Massive PE causing hemodynamic instability (marked decreased oxygen saturation, tachycardia and/or hypotension) is an indication for thrombolysis, the enzymatic destruction of the clot with medication. |
| en.wikipedia.org.cob-web.org:8888 /wiki/Pulmonary_embolism (1562 words) |
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