Pulmonary Embolism Flashcards
1
Q
define PE
A
obstruction of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches
2
Q
where do PE’s originate?
A
venous system
3
Q
VTE Formula
A
DVT + PE = VTE
4
Q
PE are A/W
A
trauma surgery pregnancy heart failure age (>50) hypercoagable states afib prolonged immobility birth birth control smoking
5
Q
PE occurs when
A
- gas exchange is impaired or absent
- ventilation w/o perfusion
- alveolar dead space is increased
- pulmonary vasoconstriction
- incr pulmonary vascular resistance
- increased ventricular work
6
Q
severity of PE depends on
A
- size of the obstruction
- size of the pulmonary bed is being affected
- degree of hemodynamic instability
7
Q
clinical manifestations of PE
A
size dependant dyspnea ***tachypnea*** chest pain cough hemoptysis anxiety apprehension fever tachycardia diaphoresis
8
Q
Assessment and DX of a PE
A
CXR ECG Pulse OX ABG VQ Scan Pulmonary Angiogram Pulmonary Spiral CT
9
Q
what are the benefits of using a VQ scan
A
minimally invasive
10
Q
what are the risks of using a VQ scan
A
must use contrast
11
Q
what must be checked before using a VQ scan
A
renal system
12
Q
what is the benefit of using pulmonary angiogram
A
quick and very accurate
13
Q
what is the benefit of using a pulmonary spiral ct scan
A
very in depth test
14
Q
why might a pulmonary spiral ct scan not be done?
A
very expensive- insurance may not cover
15
Q
PE mgmt
A
- emergency mgmt: SPO2, assess if they need O2, eval response, ekg, labs
- lyse the existing emboli
- prevent a new one from forming
