What is it?
It is usually a blood clot traveling circulating in the blood and clog an artery supplying the lung branching.
Mechanisms
Pulmonary embolism is the major complication of phlebitis. She was afraid every time that forms a clot that blocks a vein of lower limb veins (calf or thigh). An infection of a vein wall or a hypercoagulable blood can cause blood clots especially if there is a station at bed time. This is the danger facing surgery, the bedridden, new mothers who have suffered obstetric complications.
The clot is often the place where the wall of a vein is injured. The involvement may be accidental (broken leg or hip) or pathological (ulceration, infection). Pulmonary embolism symptoms here. The vascular lesion may be as a result of operation (sequel intervention on the stomach, uterus, prostate, all highly vascular organs). The actual formation of clot is the result of a disorder of movement: the blood does not flow at normal speed, it is no longer enough fluid, prothrombin time (a substance involved in blood clotting) is too high.
If the clot adheres poorly to the vein, it stands out. During his journey through the vascular system, it may get into the vena cava, reaching the right heart and ultimately penetrate into the pulmonary artery, following his size, he led the mouth life, one of its branches or only an arteriole. If you are interested in a few pulmonry embolism pictures check them here.
