How is Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosed?
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is diagnosed by your doctor based on:1
- The signs and symptoms
- The presence of one or more associated risk factors
- The presence of D-dimer, a small protein fragment that is present in the blood after a blood clot has broken down. High levels of D-dimer could indicate that pieces of blood clot, or emboli, are loose in your bloodstream
- Computerized tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). A dye is injected into your blood vessels before a computerized tomography (CT) scan to make it easier to see the blood vessels in your lungs
- Ventilation-perfusion scan. You will be asked to inhale a slightly radioactive gas that is visible during this scan to show the air flow in your lungs. At the same time, you’ll be given an injection that contains a small amount of radioactive material to show the blood flow in the vessels of your lungs
References
- Healthily. Pulmonary Embolism [Internet]. [cited 2020 Nov 5]. Available from: https://www.livehealthily.com/embolism Healthily. Pulmonary Embolism [Internet]. [cited 2020 Nov 5]. Available from: https://www.livehealthily.com/embolism Return to content
