Blood Clot in the Lung (Pulmonary Embolism): What to Know

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is when you get a sudden blockage or less blood flow in one or both of your lungs. This typically happens when a blood clot moves into the arteries of your lung. A blood clot is blood that has turned into a gel or solid.

Most blockages come from deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is when a blood clot forms in the vein of a leg or arm and moves to your lungs.

PE is dangerous. It must be treated right away.

What are the causes?

In most cases, PE is caused by a blood clot that forms in a vein and moves to your lungs.

• Air.
• Fat.
• Part of a tumor. A tumor is a growth of cells or tissue that isn't normal.
• Other tissue that moves through your veins and into your lungs.

What increases the risk?

• You get really hurt, such as from:
  • Breaking a hip or leg. You're also more at risk if your leg is in a cast or splint.
  • An injury to your spinal cord.
• You have a big surgery, such as:
  • A hip or knee replacement.
  • Surgery on parts of your nervous system.
  • Surgery on your belly.
• You have certain conditions, such as:
  • A stroke.
  • A problem with how your blood clots.
  • A long-term lung or heart disease.
• You have a soft tube called a central venous catheter.
• You're being treated for cancer.
• You take medicines that have estrogen in them.
• You smoke.
• You spend a lot of time sitting, such as if you travel over 6 hours.

• Pregnant or just had a baby.
• Older than 60 years of age.
• Overweight.
• Not very active.
• Not able to move at all.

What are the signs or symptoms?

• Feeling short of breath while moving or resting.
• Coughing, coughing up blood, or coughing up bloody mucus.
• Pain that gets worse with deep breaths in your:
  • Chest.
  • Back.
  • Shoulder blade.
• A heartbeat that's fast or not normal.
• Feeling light-headed or dizzy.
• Fainting.
• Feeling worried or nervous.
• Pain and swelling in a leg. This is a symptom of DVT. DVT can lead to PE.

How is this diagnosed?

• Blood tests.
• An electrocardiogram (ECG). This checks how well your heart is working.
• A CT pulmonary angiogram. This checks blood flow in and around your lungs.
• A ventilation-perfusion scan. This measures air flow and blood flow to your lungs.
• An ultrasound to check for a DVT.

How is this treated?

• Stop blood clots from forming.
• Stop the clot from getting bigger.
• Break apart the clot.
• Remove the clot.

• Medicines to:
  • Stop clots from forming and growing. You may be given blood thinners.
  • Break apart clots.
• Procedures, such as:
  • An embolectomy. This uses a tube to remove a clot.
  • Catheter-directed thrombolysis. This uses medicine to get rid of a clot.
  • Surgical embolectomy. This is a surgery to get rid of the clot. It's used in rare cases.

You may need more than one treatment. Work with your provider to choose the best treatment program for you.

Follow these instructions at home:

Medicines

• Take your medicines only as told.
• If you're taking blood thinners:
  • Take your medicines as told. Take them at the same time each day.
  • Talk with your provider before taking any products you can buy at the store.
  • Do not do things that could hurt or bruise you. Be careful to avoid falls.
  • Wear an alert bracelet or carry a card that says you take blood thinners.
• Know what foods and other medicines you can have with your medicines.

General instructions

• Stay at a healthy weight. Ask your provider what weight is healthy for you.
• Do not smoke, vape, or use nicotine or tobacco.
• Do not sit or lie down for a long time without moving.
• Tell your provider if you plan to travel. Make sure you can still take your medicine while you travel.
• Ask what things are safe for you to do at home. Ask when you can go back to work or school.
• Keep all follow-up visits. Your provider will closely watch how you're doing.

Where to find more information

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov. Then:
  • Click Health Topics A-Z.
  • Type "blood clot" into the search box.
• American Lung Association (ALA): lung.org

Contact a health care provider if:

• You miss a dose of your blood thinner.
• You have a fever.

Get help right away if:

• You have:
  • New or more pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in an arm or leg.
  • Worse chest pain.
  • A heartbeat that's fast or not normal.
  • A very bad headache.
  • Changes to your eyesight.
  • A very bad fall or accident, or you hit your head.
  • Blood in your pee or poop.
  • A cut that won't stop bleeding.
• You feel short of breath, and it gets worse when you're moving or resting.
• You throw up or cough up blood.
• You feel light-headed or dizzy, and the feeling doesn't go away.
• You can't move your arms or legs.
• You're confused or have memory loss.

• Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away.
• Do not drive yourself to the hospital.