Medical Student Resources Blog
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Question of
Which of the following is the most common cause of pulmonary embolism (PE)?
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Air embolism
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Fat embolism
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Amniotic fluid embolism
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Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE)
Correct Wrong
Over 95% of pulmonary embolisms are due to pulmonary thromboembolism, where a blood clot obstructs the pulmonary artery or its branches.
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Question of
What is the primary source of thrombi that cause pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE)?
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Superficial veins of the lower extremities
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Deep veins of the lower extremities
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Pulmonary veins
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Arteries of the upper extremities
Correct Wrong
In more than 95% of cases, the thrombus causing PTE originates from deep veins of the lower extremities, which is also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
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Question of
Which of the following factors is categorized as a strong risk factor for developing pulmonary embolism?
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Bed rest for more than 3 days
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Knee arthroscopy
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Central venous catheter
Correct Wrong
According to the risk stratification table, a central venous catheter is considered a strong risk factor, while bed rest, knee arthroscopy, and obesity are moderate or weak risk factors.
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Question of
Which of the following is a common clinical manifestation of pulmonary embolism?
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Bradycardia
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Hypothermia
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Tachypnea
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Weight loss
Correct Wrong
Tachypnea (rapid breathing) is a common clinical sign of PE, observed in around 70% of cases. Other frequent symptoms include dyspnea and chest pain.
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Question of
Which imaging modality is most commonly used to confirm the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism?
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MRI of the lungs
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Chest X-ray
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Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan
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CT pulmonary angiography
Correct Wrong
CT pulmonary angiography is the gold standard for confirming or excluding pulmonary embolism as it directly visualizes filling defects in the pulmonary arteries.
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Question of
Which scoring system is used to assess the clinical probability of pulmonary embolism?
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CHA2DS2-VASc
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Wells score
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APACHE score
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Child-Pugh score
Correct Wrong
The Wells scoring system is commonly used to estimate the likelihood of pulmonary embolism based on various clinical criteria.
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Question of
Which of the following is a characteristic finding in arterial blood gas analysis in a patient with pulmonary embolism?
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Hypercapnia
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Hypoxemia without hypercapnia
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Metabolic alkalosis
Correct Wrong
Pulmonary embolism often leads to hypoxemia (low oxygen levels) without hypercapnia (elevated CO2 levels) due to ventilation-perfusion mismatch.
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Question of
What is the preferred treatment for a hemodynamically unstable patient with massive pulmonary embolism?
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Anticoagulation with warfarin
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Fibrinolytic therapy
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Oral antiplatelet agents
Correct Wrong
In hemodynamically unstable patients, fibrinolytic therapy is recommended to rapidly dissolve the clot and restore pulmonary circulation.
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Question of
Which clinical finding would most likely suggest the presence of a pulmonary infarction secondary to PE?
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Sharp pleuritic chest pain
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Cyanosis
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Hemoptysis
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Bradycardia
Correct Wrong
Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is a common sign of pulmonary infarction, which occurs in about 10% of PE cases when the blood supply to lung tissue is compromised.
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Question of
What is the role of D-dimer testing in the diagnostic evaluation of pulmonary embolism?
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To confirm the diagnosis of PE
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To rule out the diagnosis in patients with low clinical probability
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To differentiate between PE and myocardial infarction
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To assess the severity of PE
Correct Wrong
Elevated D-dimer levels suggest the presence of a thrombotic process, but due to its low specificity, it is mainly used to exclude PE in patients with a low probability based on clinical assessment.
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