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Preventing Pulmonary Embolism

Prevention of pulmonary embolism means preventing clots from forming.

You can help prevent clots with a healthful lifestyle:

Eat a healthful diet, one that is low in total fat as well as saturated fat, and rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Exercise regularly.
Walk or move your legs to break up long periods of sitting. If your are traveling, get up and walk around every 3 hours.
Don't smoke.
Unless you are on a fluid-restricted diet, be sure to drink lots of water.

People at high risk of developing blood clots can do the following:

Take medicine, if your doctor recommends it. Anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin or heparin are most commonly used.
Wear elastic stockings (also called support hose) to improve circulation in your legs.

RESOURCES:

American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org

American College of Surgeons
http://www.facs.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Lung Association
http://www.lung.ca

Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html

References:

Canadian Lung Association website. Available at: http://www.lung.ca .

Gibson, NS, Sohne, M, Buller, HR. Prognostic value of echocardiography and spiral computed tomography in patients with pulmonary embolism. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2005; 11:380.

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Simon and Schuster, Inc.; 1999.

Ohno, Y, Higashino, T, Takenaka, D, et al. MR Angiography with sensitivity encoding (SENSE) for suspected pulmonary embolism: comparison with mdct and ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2004; 183:91.

Philbrick JT, Shumate R, Siadaty MS, Becker DM. Air travel and venous thromboembolism: a systematic review. J Gen Intern Med . 2007 Jan;22(1):107-14.

Pulmonary embolism. JAMA . 2001 Feb 14.

Qaseem A, Snow V, Barry P, Hornbake ER, Rodnick JE, Tobolic T, et al; Joint American Academy of Family Physicians/American College of Physicians Panel on Deep Venous Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism. Current diagnosis of venous thromboembolism in primary care: a clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med . 2007 Mar 20;146(6):454-8.

Rosendaal, FR. Venous thrombosis: A multicausal disease. Lancet 1999; 353:1167.

Rubini G, Niccoli Asabella A, Stabile Ianora AA, Rubini D, Gaudiano A, Angelelli G, et al.Acute pulmonary embolism: comparison and integration of perfusion lung scintigraphy with multislice spiral CT. Radiol Med (Torino) . 2007 Mar;112(2):174-184. Epub 2007 Mar 19.

Last reviewed March 2008 by Marcin Chwistek, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Talk about it in the:
Pulmonary Embolism Support Group

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