Thromboembolism

Thromboembolism is a condition in which a blood clot formed in a blood vessel breaks off from the vessel wall, is carried by the bloodstream and gets stuck in another vessel. Most often, this term is used in connection with phlebothrombosis and pulmonary embolism (pulmonary thromboembolic disease).

Phlebothrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in the veins, most often in the deep veins of the lower extremities. When such a blood clot breaks off, a pulmonary embolism occurs with the development of pulmonary failure.

Thus, thromboembolism occurs when phlebothrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism are combined. This dangerous complication requires timely diagnosis and adequate treatment.

Thrombosis and thromboembolism

When the vascular wall is damaged (for example, after vascular surgery or vein replacement), a so-called thrombus is formed - a dense clot of fibrin and cell debris, most often leukocytes mixed with red blood cells. Impairment of blood flow is temporary if it is minor and is not accompanied by critical ischemia of the limbs or body tissues. Otherwise, the blood clot persists, increasing in size and depositing in the vein under the name thromboembolus. A large thrombosed area can “break off” and move through the bloodstream, which is medically called thromboembolic disease. However, when damage to the walls of blood vessels occurs in non-functioning organisms, in conditions of incompetent hemodynamics, the likelihood of these disorders increases. The end point of such a pathological process primarily becomes the pulmonary artery, where large fragments of blood plugs cause a variety of disorders and dangers for the patient. This results in several conditions: thrombotic or thromboembolic pulmonary infarction (TIL) - a disease defined by the absence of stable dilatation of the pulmonary arteries according to chest x-ray data within 3-6 days from the moment of hospitalization of the patient; thromboembionation, TE - formed thrombotic masses located in fragments of lung tissue

Thrombosis is a blockage of blood vessels by blood clots (thrombi), which arise due to the formation of a dense formation inside the vessels (the so-called microthromb) from the fibrin protein, which glues small blood clots together and creates the basis of a large blood clot. Examples of thrombosis are myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, and cerebral apoplexy. Blood clots are usually found only in small or arterial vessels below the heart, since there is a network of venous communications called the pulmonary circulation. The process of blood clot formation is called the thrombogenic process. If a clot blocks the flow of blood to the heart, it can lead to the death of tissues that no longer receive enough oxygen.