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Serena’s out Tennis star Serena Williams has undergone medical treatment for a
pulmonary embolism. Treatment often involves the patient being on
blood thinners, which may sideline Serena from the game for while.

What is pulmonary Signs and Sometimes,

the only symp-

embolism? symptoms toms are related to

DVT, which include
Lung swelling of the leg or
artery A pulmonary embolism, or PE, is a sudden • Shortness of breath along the vein in the
• Problems breathing
blockage in a lung artery. The blockage • Chest pains
leg, pain or tenderness
in the leg, a feeling of
usually is due to a blood clot that has • Coughing increased warmth in the
travelled to the lung from a vein in the leg. • Coughing up blood area of the leg that's
swollen or tender, and
• Increased heart rate
red or discolored

6 Pulmonary
• An irregular heartbeat skin on the
embolisms can result in permanent lung
damage as well as damage to other organs in the body. • Feelings of anxiety affected leg
• Lightheadeness, faint
• Rapid breathing

5 Embolus can block the artery. This is

know as a pulmonary embolism.
• Sweating

4 The embolus travels

to the lungs. Treatment of PE
Pulmonary embolism is usually treated

3 Clot
with medicines, procedures, and other
travels through therapies.
the bloodstream.
In most cases, the types of medicines
The used are anticoagulants
travelling
clot is known
as an embolus
2 Part of the clot
breaks free
from the vein
(blood thinners).
The goal of treatment is to stop the
blood clot from getting bigger as
well as keeping new clots from forming.

1 Athe
blood clot forms in In life-threatening situations,
The clot can doctors will need to use
block blood deep veins of the It is rare
thrombolytics — medicines
flow in the vein, leg, usually in the that break up and remove
that a patient
resulting in pain, lower leg or the clots quickly.
will ever have to
swelling and thigh — a condition undergo surgery
redness known as deep vein to remove the
blood clot.
thrombosis (DVT).

Sources: Graphic News; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ANTHONY GREEN/QMI AGENCY