Saturday, December 2, 2023
Please read and answer the question below. Based on your response, you will be directed to an educational program that is targeted to your specific learning needs.
A 65-year old man, who smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day and has a history of hyperlipidemia and angina, presents to the
emergency department (ED) with persistent fatigue and severe, non-radiating chest pain that worsens on inspiration. On admission,
his BP = 140/82 mm Hg; peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) = 94%; heart rate = 66 beats per minute (bpm); respirations
= 12/min; T = 97.9 F, and body mass index = 31.4 kg/m2. His lungs are clear, and there are no clinical signs of deep vein
thrombosis (DVT). He undergoes further testing and an immediate CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) shows several pulmonary emboli.
A diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is confirmed.
The educational activity presented above may involve simulated case-based scenarios. The patients depicted in these scenarios are fictitious and no association with any actual patient is intended or should be inferred.
The material presented here does not necessarily reflect the views of Medscape, LLC, or companies that support educational programming on medscape.org. These materials may discuss therapeutic products that have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and off-label uses of approved products. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product discussed. Readers should verify all information and data before treating patients or employing any therapies described in this educational activity.
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