What can cause a pulmonary embolism besides surgery?

Question

I had a friend who died from one suddenly.

Answer 1

staying in bed for a really long time. for example being in hospital.  

Answer 2

all that the people on here have said but also definacy of protien s +or c

Answer 3

a long plane ride (8 hours or more)  with no leg movement.

Answer 4

Blood clots in the legs breaking free and traveling to the lungs.  

A person who sits a lot in an office,  takes a long plane ride,  etc can develop clots from sitting for a long period of time,  specially if they have poor circulation and already have varicose veins.   When they start moving around a clot can bust loose and head for the lungs or brain.  Or heart.  Solution is not to sit for long periods of time,  wear support hose,  take a daily baby aspirin as that helps prevent clot formation and if you have bad varicose veins,  get them fixed.  If you do feel you have a clot in the leg,  do not rub it!!

A person also can throw a clot from a broken bone,  usually in the leg,  such as a hip bone.   They can throw a fat globule that causes an embolism elsewhere in the body.

On rare occasion a pregnant woman in labor can have an amniotic embolism where some of the amniotic fluid gets into the circulation.

Answer 5

Scuba diving or working in a pressurized area, then depressurizing in an uncontrolled manner can do it.  An embolism is the same as "the bends".  It's an air bubble somewhere in the body.  A pulmonary embolism sounds like it's somewhere in or near the lungs.

Answer 6

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, usually occurring when a venous thrombus (blood clot from a vein) becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs.

There are many causes of PE.

Answer 7

There are genetic factors as well as the well-known ones.  Some of the population carry genetic mutations like Prothrombin 20210 and Factor V Leiden (I have both of these).  These mutations predispose a person to clots.  It's called Thrombophilia, and it means a person's body likes to clot.  If you have thrombophilia and add on problems like being stationary for long periods of time, being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and taking birth control pills, it could lead to a DVT, which is a deep vein thrombosis.  That's a blood clot in a vein, which could break loose and cause trouble elsewhere in the body, such as the lungs, heart, or brain.  At least that's what I've been told by my hematologist.  Hope this helps!

Answer 8

Some meds or birth control can cause them.

Answer 9

There are many causes.. drugs, birth control, other illnesses, a clot traveling from somewhere else in the body. If you Google it, there is a lot of info on it.  I'm so sorry for your loss!