Embolism

A sudden obstruction of a blood vessel, usually caused by a clot carried in the blood stream.

Blockage of a blood vessel caused by a foreign object (embolus) such as a quantity of air or gas, a piece of tissue or tumour, a blood clot (thrombus), or fatty tissue derived from atheroma, in the circulation.

Sudden blocking of artery or vein by a clot brought to its place by the blood current.

Obstruction of a blood vessel by foreign substances or a blood clot.

Blockage of a blood vessel by a blot clot that is transported from some other area of the body.

The blocking of an artery by a mass of material, usually a blood clot, preventing the flow of blood.

Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot or a foreign body.

Blockage of a blood vessel, an artery, by an embolus. Treatment depends on the nature of the embolus, the degree of obstruction, and the blood vessels affected.

Mass of undissolved matter present in a blood or lymphatic vessel brought there by the blood or lymph current.

Blockage of blood vessels by a clot or foreign material.

Blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot, fat deposit, or other material that has lodged in the vessel after traveling through the bloodstream. The medical importance of an embolism depends on the size of the blockage and the blood vessel it obstructs. Minor embolisms may produce no symptoms; major embolisms, such as those in the arteries of the heart or brain, can cause death by heart attack or stroke.

The condition in which an embolus becomes lodged in an artery and obstructs its blood flow. The most common form of embolism is pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot is carried in the circulation to lodge in the pulmonary artery. An embolus in any other artery constitutes a systemic embolism. In this case a common source of the embolus is a blood clot within the heart in mitral valve disease or following myocardial infarction. The clinical features depend upon the site at which an embolus lodges (for example, a stroke may result from a cerebral embolism and gangrene from a limb embolism). Treatment is by anticoagulant therapy with heparin and warfarin. Major embolism is treated by embolectomy; or streptokinase to remove or dissolve the embolus.

The plugging of a small blood vessel by an embolus which has been carried through the larger vessels by the bloodstream. It is due usually to fragments of a clot which has formed in some vessel, or to small portions carried off from the edge of a heart-valve when this organ is diseased. However, the plug may also be a small mass of bacteria, or a fragment of a tumour, or even a mass of air bubbles sucked into the veins during operations on the neck. The result is usually more or less destruction of the organ or part of an organ supplied by the obstructed vessel. This is particularly the case in the brain, where softening of the brain, with aphasia or a stroke, may be the result. If the plug is a fragment of malignant tumour, a new growth develops at the spot; if it is a mass of bacteria, an abscess forms there. Air-embolism occasionally causes sudden death in the case of wounds in the neck, the air bubbles completely stopping the flow of blood. Fat embolism is a condition which has been known to cause death — masses of fat, in consequence of such an injury as a fractured bone, finding their way into the circulation and stopping the blood in its passage through the lungs.

Sudden obstruction of a blood vessel by debris. Blood clots, cholesterol-containing plaques, masses of bacteria, cancer cells, amniotic fluid, fat from the marrow of broken bones, and injected substances (e.g., air bubbles or particulate matter) all may lodge in blood vessels and obstruct the circulation.

The sudden obstruction of an artery, usually in the heart, lungs, or brain, by a clot or foreign substance.

An embolism is a condition where a blood clot, air bubble, or foreign material moves through the bloodstream and hinders the normal flow of blood within an artery. When an embolism obstructs the blood supply to a specific tissue or organ, it can lead to infarction, causing the affected tissue to die. Without prompt and suitable treatment, an embolism can have fatal consequences.

An embolus, which is a fragment of material carried in the bloodstream, can lead to the blockage of an artery, causing an embolism. Emboli can be composed of different substances, with the most common being blood clots. However, other substances like air or gas bubbles, tissue or tumor fragments, bacterial clusters, bone marrow, cholesterol, fat, and rarely, amniotic fluid forced into a woman’s circulation during childbirth, may also form emboli.

The most frequent type of embolus is a blood clot that has detached from a larger clot elsewhere in the circulation.

Pulmonary embolism is a disorder that may be due to a blood clot. The condition is usually the result of a fragment breaking off from a deep vein thrombosis and being carried via the heart to block an artery supplying the lungs. Pulmonary embolism may cause sudden death. Blood clots may form inside the heart after a myocardial infarction (heart attack), or in the atria (upper chambers of the heart) in atrial fibrillation, and then travel to the brain. This results in a cerebral embolism, which is an important cause of stroke (damage to part of the brain due to interruption to its blood supply).

Air embolism, a rare occurrence, happens when a small artery becomes obstructed by an air bubble. Another potential complication is fat embolism, which can result from a major fracture of a limb, blocking a vessel with fat globules. This type of embolism arises when fat is released from the bone marrow of the broken bone. Yet another uncommon but severe condition is amniotic fluid embolism, which takes place during labor or shortly after the baby’s delivery. Sadly, this complication of childbirth often proves to be fatal.

The symptoms of an embolism vary depending on where the embolus is located. When it occurs in the pulmonary region, it can result in breathlessness and chest pains. In the case of an embolus lodging in the brain, it can trigger a stroke, which may impact speech, vision, or movement. On the other hand, if an embolism obstructs an artery in the leg, it can cause pain and lead to the limb turning pale. Failure to seek treatment could lead to the development of gangrene, causing tissue death.