Pulmonary Embolism

Brooklyn medical malpractice attorney Sandy Bennett talks about a case involving pulmonary embolism. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the most common cause of a pulmonary embolism, the blockage of one or both of the branches of the pulmonary artery which brings the blood from the heart to the lungs.

MS. SANDY BENNETT: A pulmonary embolism is the blockage of one or both of the branches of the pulmonary artery which brings the blood from the heart to the lungs. And the most common cause of a pulmonary embolism is a deep vein thrombosis, or a DVT which is a clot, a thrombus in the deep veins of the leg. A DVT could be caused by an injury to the hip or the leg, it can happen if somebody is confined or sitting for a prolonged period of time, if someone is paralyzed they're predisposed to developing a DVT, someone has cancer they may be predisposed to developing a DVT. What happens is that if the clot in the deep vein of the leg, if a portion of that clot or the entire clot breaks off and travels up to the lungs or to the heart, that's a pulmonary embolism, and if not treated immediately it could cause death. The signs of a pulmonary embolism are typically shortness of breath, anxiety, profuse sweating, and a rapid pulse. And if a patient presents to a physician with those complaints, the physician should have a high index of suspicion that that patient may be suffering from a pulmonary embolism. The physician should perform any necessary tests to rule out a pulmonary embolism. In a recent case that we had, an individual fell down a flight of steps. A few days later, he was complaining of leg pain and shortness of breath and the doctor did not perform the appropriate test to rule out a pulmonary embolism and tragically he passed away. This is a condition that if caught early on is easily treatable. But if it's not diagnosed timely, then it could be fatal.