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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Pulmonary embolism

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈpʊlməneri ˈembəlɪzəm/nounCommon term

In medicine, pulmonary embolism means: A blockage of an artery in the lungs, usually by a blood clot that has travelled from a deep vein in the leg.

In Turkish: pulmoner emboli, akciğer embolisi

How it is used

Shortened to PE. Typical features are sudden breathlessness, pleuritic chest pain, a fast heart rate and low oxygen saturation. Doctors use scores such as the Wells score and tests such as D-dimer and CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) to rule it in or out.

Example sentences

  1. Two weeks after her knee replacement, she developed a pulmonary embolism.

  2. The CT scan ruled out a pulmonary embolism.

Common collocations

  • suspected pulmonary embolism
  • massive pulmonary embolism
  • rule out a pulmonary embolism
  • CT pulmonary angiogram
  • deep vein thrombosisA blood clot in one of the deep veins, usually in the leg, that can cause pain and swelling and may travel to the lungs.
  • shortness of breathA feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).
  • chest painPain or discomfort felt in the chest; it can come from the heart, lungs, food pipe, muscles or ribs, so it is always taken seriously.
  • anticoagulantA medicine that makes the blood take longer to clot, used to prevent or treat clots in conditions such as atrial fibrillation and DVT.
  • CT scanA scan that uses X-rays taken from many angles and a computer to build detailed cross-section pictures of the body. CT stands for computed tomography.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.