| ~ pulmonary e. — an obstruction of the
pulmonary artery or one of its branch-
es, usually caused by an embolus
from thrombosis in a lower extremity.
Risks for it include genetic predispo-
sition, recent limb or pelvic trauma,
surgery, immobilization (especially in
hospital), pregnancy, use of hormone
replacement, advanced age, cancer,
and obesity. Diagnosis is challenging
because symptoms are nonspecific and
often misinterpreted, and may mimic
many other diseases of the limbs or
chest. When a pulmonary embolism
is suspected, evaluation includes ox-
imetry, chest x-ray, blood tests for d-
dimer, and depending on local hospital
practices, ultrasonography of the legs,
ventilation/perfusion scanning, or spi-
ral CT of the chest
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