Acute Medicine | Breathlessness 07 knowledge C

Managing Pulmonary Embolism in Special Circumstances
Session Overview
Description
This session discusses the management of a pulmonary embolism in special circumstances including pregnancy, anaemia, thrombophilia and malignancy.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Safely investigate and treat pregnant patients with a suspected pulmonary embolism
• Decide when it is appropriate for patients with a suspected pulmonary embolism to be managed in an ambulatory care or outpatient setting
• Manage therapy for patients with a suspected pulmonary embolus and severe bleeding or iron-deficiency anaemia
• Select which patients, with a confirmed pulmonary embolus, should be investigated for thrombophilia or malignancy

Pulmonary embolism (PE) has an overall annual incidence of about 60-70 individuals per 100, 000.

Very few patients will present as textbook cases.

In this session, by working through a fictional case study you will learn how to manage patients with possible and confirmed PE. The management will be explored in four different scenarios that are common, but potentially challenging.

The patient is a 33-year-old woman who has presented with breathlessness. You have completed an interview with her and carried out a physical examination. Based on the signs and symptoms, you have reason to suspect that she has a PE.