Most people don't know what a pulmonary embolism is but it's definitely something that you want to know about if you have one. It's a blockage in the pumonary artery that can cause health problems ranging from difficulty breathing to sudden death. It is commonly detected using a combination of a D-Dimer Measurement and venous ultrasonography. However, a new study reveals that the ultrasonography may be replaced with a CT scan for effective detection of the ailment.
The CT scan is done of the chest to look at the arteries and determine whether or not there is blockage. It should be noted that the single-slice CT scan is not capable of detecting this problem. However, the multi-slice CT scan is as effective as venous ultrasonography in identifying blockages. Once identified, this blocks can be treated in order to reduce the discomfort and risk of the pulmonary embolism.
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Question of the Day: If your symptoms included chest pain and difficulty breathing, what would be the first health problem you would presume that you had?
