Can pulmonary embolism result in a vegetative state?

Written by Li Qiang

Intensive Care Unit

Updated on August 31, 2024

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After a pulmonary embolism, if it is an acute and extensive embolism and not treated promptly, it can lead to severe hypoxemia. If hypoxemia is not addressed quickly and persists, it will affect the oxygen supply to vital organs throughout the body, including the brain. The brain is the organ most vulnerable to oxygen deprivation. If there is complete lack of oxygen for just four minutes, irreversible damage occurs to the cerebral cortex, and the patient will not wake up, leading to a vegetative state. Therefore, in cases of acute extensive pulmonary embolism, if treatment is delayed, there is a significant risk of the patient entering a vegetative state, and the mortality rate is also very high. Many patients may experience sudden death.

Other Voices

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

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Why can't patients with pulmonary embolism get out of bed?

Pulmonary embolism is a relatively common clinical disease, with many and complex inducing factors. The most common cause of pulmonary embolism in patients is due primarily to thrombi dislodging from the veins of the lower limbs or the pelvic deep veins, traveling through the bloodstream to the pulmonary arteries, thus causing the disease. Therefore, bed rest is essential during the acute phase of pulmonary embolism. The purpose of bed rest is to prevent further embolisms, to avoid the dislodging of pelvic or lower limb deep vein thrombi, which could lead to the formation of new thrombi. Therefore, for patients with pulmonary embolism, it is crucial to provide timely treatments such as thrombolysis to control the clinical symptoms caused by the pulmonary embolism effectively.

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Written by Yuan Qing

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The difference between pulmonary embolism and pulmonary congestion

Pulmonary embolism and pulmonary congestion are two completely different diseases. Pulmonary embolism is mainly caused by the thrombosis of the venous vessels entering the pulmonary artery, thereby causing restricted blood flow in the pulmonary artery and leading to pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary congestion is often due to left heart failure, where the blood flow in the lungs cannot return to the left heart, causing the blood to be retained and congested in the lungs, forming this disease. However, they do have some similarities, such as presenting symptoms of difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, shock, etc. But through diagnosis and additional examinations, these two diseases can be clearly differentiated. Therefore, careful differentiation is required in clinical practice because the treatments for the two diseases are completely different. If misdiagnosed, the treatment could be incorrect, leading to serious consequences from mistreatment.

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Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

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Why should one lie flat for acute pulmonary embolism?

When acute pulmonary embolism occurs, it is primarily due to a thrombus from the venous system being carried by the venous blood flow back to the right heart, and then due to the ejection from the right heart, this thrombus gets lodged in the pulmonary artery, forming a pulmonary embolism. After the onset of pulmonary embolism, the primary treatment measure is to have the patient lie down and remain still. The reason is mainly that if the patient is standing or moving, it is very likely that the thrombus in the venous system could continue to detach and move within the venous system. This can worsen the symptoms of pulmonary embolism or lead to new embolic sites, so the treatment for the patient involves immobilization and lying down to avoid further movement, making this the most basic approach to treatment.

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Written by Wang Li Bing

Intensive Care Medicine Department

45sec

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What are the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism warning sign?

Pulmonary embolism is also very common in clinical settings, mainly seen in patients who have been bedridden for a long time, undergone various major surgeries, suffered from long bone fractures, pregnancy, etc. In the early stages of pulmonary embolism, patients generally experience varying degrees of chest pain, hemoptysis, and difficulty breathing, among others. If pulmonary embolism is suspected and the patient's condition permits, a pulmonary artery CTA scan should be immediately carried out to further confirm the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. If the pulmonary embolism has already caused circulatory disturbances, thrombolytic therapy should then be considered.

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Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

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What are the symptoms when pulmonary embolism becomes severe?

Pulmonary embolism can vary in severity, with serious cases primarily causing unstable vital signs. The disease primarily arises from venous thrombi in the venous system, which travel with the venous blood back to the right heart, and then with the blood flow from the right heart back to the aorta. If the thrombus is relatively large, it can easily become lodged in the pulmonary artery, forming a pulmonary embolism. The symptoms of pulmonary embolism can range from mild to severe. Based on the patient's symptoms and vital signs, pulmonary embolism is categorized into low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk. Low and intermediate risk typically indicate that the patient's vital signs are relatively stable, with normal blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry saturation. In severe cases, patients may exhibit noticeable symptoms such as coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, shock, and oliguria. These represent the more severe cases of pulmonary embolism.