Mirza Ismail Baig: Silent but Significant – The Clinical Importance of Pulmonary Embolism
Mirza Ismail Baig, Clinical Intern and Physician Assistant at CARE Hospitals, Quality CARE India Limited, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Silent but Significant: The Clinical Importance of Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains one of the most potentially fatal yet frequently underrecognized cardiovascular emergencies.
The condition occurs when a thrombus, most commonly originating from the deep veins of the lower extremities, embolizes to the pulmonary circulation and obstructs blood flow.
Common risk factors include:
- Prolonged immobilization
- Recent surgery
- Malignancy
- Pregnancy and postpartum state
- Previous venous thromboembolism
- Inherited thrombophilia
Clinical presentation can vary widely, ranging from mild dyspnea to sudden hemodynamic collapse.
Key findings may include:
- Acute onset shortness of breath
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Tachycardia
- Hypoxemia
- Syncope in severe cases
One of the most important lessons in clinical medicine is that a normal chest X-ray does not exclude a life-threatening diagnosis.
Diagnostic evaluation often relies on:
- D-dimer testing
- CT Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA)
- Echocardiography in unstable patients
- Clinical prediction tools such as the Wells Score
Early anticoagulation with agents such as:
- Enoxaparin
- Unfractionated Heparin
- Apixaban
- Rivaroxaban
can significantly improve outcomes when initiated promptly.
Pulmonary embolism serves as a reminder that not every patient with acute breathlessness has a primary respiratory disease—sometimes the pathology lies within the pulmonary vasculature itself.”
Stay updated with Hemostasis Today.
-
Jul 26, 2026, 01:48Rob Maloney: Why Global Diagnosis is the Missing Piece in Bleeding Disorder Care
-
Jul 26, 2026, 01:35Moustafa Abdou: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – Why Collagen Matters for Hemostasis
-
Jul 26, 2026, 01:25Vrisha Shah: Exploring Transgenic Mouse Models for Pregnancy Outcomes at ISTH 2026
-
Jul 26, 2026, 01:06Christine Bork: Why Misinformation Around a Single Vitamin Postpartum is Putting Babies at Risk
-
Jul 26, 2026, 00:44A Significant Step Forward For People With Bleeding Disorders In The Dominican Republic – WFH
-
Jul 25, 2026, 18:00The Evolving Landscape of Factor Replacement Therapy – EAHAD
-
Jul 25, 2026, 17:43Heghine Khachatryan: Advancing Care for Women and Girls With Hemophilia
-
Jul 25, 2026, 17:00Revathy R Menon: A Memorable Milestone at the 39th ISBT Congress
-
Jul 25, 2026, 16:19Nicola Potere: From Scientific Exchange to Global Collaboration at ISTH 2026