EMBOLISM

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EMBOLISM

• SUBMITTED BY
• J.D.SHYLA BLESSY
• (Biomedical engineering student)
• (Agni college of technology)

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EMBOLISM

• An embolism is the lodging of an
•  embolus, a blockage-causing piece
• of material, inside a blood vessel.
•  The embolus may be a blood clot
• (thrombus), a fat globule, a bubble
• of air or other gas(gas embolism),
• or foreign material. An embolism
• can cause partial or total blockage
• of blood flow in the affected vessel.
• Such a blockage (a vascular occlusion)
• may affect a part of the body distant
• from where the embolus originated.

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THROMBOEMBOLISM

•  An embolism in which the embolus is a piece of
  thrombus is called a  thromboembolism. The
  process of thrombus formation, often leads to
  thromboembolism.

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TYPES OF EMBOLISM

• Pulmonary embolism
• Brain embolism
• Air embolism
• Fat embolism
• Amniotic embolism

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PULMONARY EMBOLISM

• Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of
  an artery in the lungs by a substance that has
  traveled from elsewhere in the body through the
  bloodstream (embolism)

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BRAIN EMBOLISM

• When a foreign body travels through
• the blood vessels to the brain and
• becomes lodged there, blocking
• blood flow, this is known as a
• brain embolism. The foreign
• material, or embolus, is typically
• a blood clot, often formed in the
• heart. Once the blood flow is cut
• off from a portion of the brain,
• the neurons there become deprived of oxygen
• andbegin dying within a few minutes, typically
  causing a stroke, brain damage, or even death.

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AIR EMBOLISM

• An air embolism, also known as
• a gas embolism, is an embolism
•  or blood vessel blockage caused by
• one or more bubbles of air or gas
•  in the circulatory system. Air
• embolisms may also occur in the
•  xylem of vascular plants, especially
• whensufferingfromwaterstress.Divers
•  casufferfrom arterial gasembolisms. 
• Venous gas embolisms usually get
• blocked by the lungs and so rarely
• cause a problem.

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FAT EMBOLISM

• A fat embolism is a type of embolism in which
  the embolus consists of fatty material. They are
  often caused by physical trauma such as fracture
  of long bones, soft tissue trauma, and burns.

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AMNIOTIC FLUID EMBOLISM

• An amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare
  childbirth (obstetric emergency in which amniotic
• fluid,fetalcells,hair or other debris enters
  the mother's bloostream via
  the placental bed of the uterus and triggers an
  allergic-like reaction.

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CAUSES OF EMBOLISM

• Most embolisms happen to people who have risk
  factors for blood clot formation, such as smoking
  and heart disease. Other risk factors for other
  types of emboli include high blood pressure,
  atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty plaque in the
  blood vessels), and high cholesterol.

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SYMPTOMS OF EMBOLISM

• The symptoms of pulmonary embolism can be mild
  or severe. Some people have many small emboli
  that can only be detected by special X-ray
  techniques. A serious blockage, however, can lead
  to severe breathing difficulty or death.
• Symptoms of pulmonary embolism appear suddenly
  and include
• shortness of breath, rapid breathing, or wheezing
• bloody sputum
• cough
• lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
• sharp chest pain or back pain

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DIAGNOSIS

• There are several tests that may be done to
  diagnose a pulmonary embolism. In addition to a
  chest X-ray, a ventilation perfusion (V/Q) scan
  may be performed to see if anything is blocking
  blood flow through the lungs. Other tests include
  CT scan or pulmonary angiography. For deep vein
  thrombosis, Doppler studies of the legs,
  venograms, or impedance plethysmography (IPG) of
  the veins may be done to detect a blood clot. For
  strokes, brain scans, angiography, or Doppler
  ultrasound studies may be used to detect arteries
  blocked by a blood clot.

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TREATMENT

•  Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin,
  are the main medications given for pulmonary
  embolism. Anticoagulants prevent further clotting
  of the blood. Thrombolytics such as alteplase and
  streptokinase help the body to dissolve the
  original clot.

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PREVENTION

• The most effective way to prevent pulmonary
  embolism is to prevent DVTs from forming or
  starting to move in the blood vessels. If you
  have DVT, you may be prescribed an anticoagulant.
  Anticoagulants can also be given to people with
  DVT to prevent the condition. They can also
  protect against stroke.

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