Which description fits a pulmonary embolus?

Which description fits a pulmonary embolus?

• A. History of respiratory infection, fever, productive cough (rust colored or greenish mucus)
• B. Anxiety, agitation, sudden hyperventilation, dyspnea with congestion
• C. History of respiratory infection with fever and productive cough
• D. Sudden onset of dramatic agitation, apprehension, sudden hyperventilation, dyspnea with pleuritic chest pain, tachypnea, tachycardia, hemoptysis, cyanosis

Answer: (D)

Pulmonary embolus typically shows an abrupt, life-threatening change in breathing and oxygenation. The description with sudden agitation and apprehension, rapid or irregular breathing, and acute dyspnea accompanied by pleuritic chest pain, fast breathing (tachypnea), fast heart rate (tachycardia), coughing up blood (hemoptysis), and a bluish skin color (cyanosis) fits this pattern best. The pleuritic chest pain comes from irritation of the lung pleura where the clot disrupts blood flow, and cyanosis plus tachypnea reflect significant hypoxemia from the blocked vessels. Hemoptysis can occur with pulmonary infarction. The other descriptions point more toward a respiratory infection (fever with productive cough) or anxiety/panic with hyperventilation, which don’t include the key acute chest pain pattern and hypoxemia signs seen in a pulmonary embolus.

Pulmonary embolus typically shows an abrupt, life-threatening change in breathing and oxygenation. The description with sudden agitation and apprehension, rapid or irregular breathing, and acute dyspnea accompanied by pleuritic chest pain, fast breathing (tachypnea), fast heart rate (tachycardia), coughing up blood (hemoptysis), and a bluish skin color (cyanosis) fits this pattern best. The pleuritic chest pain comes from irritation of the lung pleura where the clot disrupts blood flow, and cyanosis plus tachypnea reflect significant hypoxemia from the blocked vessels. Hemoptysis can occur with pulmonary infarction.

The other descriptions point more toward a respiratory infection (fever with productive cough) or anxiety/panic with hyperventilation, which don’t include the key acute chest pain pattern and hypoxemia signs seen in a pulmonary embolus.