Abstract
Pulmonary embolism is a common and potentially life threatening condition. Delays in pulmonary embolism diagnosis represent an important problem. It is crucial to have early diagnosis of pulmonary embolism if one wishes to reduce its complication. We retrospectively reviewed our patients who visited our emergency department with a final diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. We found that delayed diagnosis of pulmonary embolism usually happened when patients did not present with the classical symptoms and signs leading to other medical diagnosis at first. Clinical signs and symptoms for pulmonary embolism are mostly non-specific; therefore, patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism—because of unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath or tachycardia with or without the risk factors for pulmonary embolism—must undergo diagnostic tests including D-dimer or CT pulmonary angiography if indicated until the diagnosis is ruled out.
Highlights
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of one of the arteries of lung which cause obstruction of blood flow to the lung and high pressure on the right ventricle leading to symptoms and signs such as shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid heart rate [1]
Clinical signs and symptoms for pulmonary embolism are mostly nonspecific; patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism—because of unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath or tachycardia with or without the risk factors for pulmonary embolism—must undergo diagnostic tests including D-dimer or CT pulmonary angiography if indicated until the diagnosis is ruled out
The median time from arrival at emergency department to diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was 18 hours, and 50% of patients had delayed diagnosis
Summary
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of one of the arteries of lung which cause obstruction of blood flow to the lung and high pressure on the right ventricle leading to symptoms and signs such as shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid heart rate [1]. When the clot blocks the pulmonary artery, it is not easy for heart to pump blood through the lungs. The lungs react by releasing chemicals that may cause the blood vessels to spasm, leading further difficulty for the heart to pump. These factors contribute to shortness of breath and chest pains. It is crucial to have early diagnosis of pulmonary embolism if one wishes to reduce its mortality [6]
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