Name two signs that would raise suspicion for pulmonary embolism in a patient with sudden dyspnea.

Name two signs that would raise suspicion for pulmonary embolism in a patient with sudden dyspnea.

• A. Pleuritic chest pain and tachycardia
• B. Cough and wheezing
• C. Fever and sore throat
• D. Dizziness and bradycardia

Answer: (A)

Two signs to watch for are pleuritic chest pain and tachycardia. Pleuritic chest pain—sharp, worsened by deep breaths or coughing—occurs because the clot can irritate the lining of the lungs and the chest wall. Tachycardia is a common reaction to the reduced oxygen delivery and the body's stress response in pulmonary embolism. Together, they stand out in someone with sudden-onset shortness of breath as a pattern highly suggestive of a PE. Other options are less specific: cough and wheezing can appear with infections or asthma; fever and sore throat point more toward an infectious illness; dizziness with slow heart rate is not typical—PE more often causes fast heart rate due to sympathetic activation.

Two signs to watch for are pleuritic chest pain and tachycardia. Pleuritic chest pain—sharp, worsened by deep breaths or coughing—occurs because the clot can irritate the lining of the lungs and the chest wall. Tachycardia is a common reaction to the reduced oxygen delivery and the body's stress response in pulmonary embolism. Together, they stand out in someone with sudden-onset shortness of breath as a pattern highly suggestive of a PE.

Other options are less specific: cough and wheezing can appear with infections or asthma; fever and sore throat point more toward an infectious illness; dizziness with slow heart rate is not typical—PE more often causes fast heart rate due to sympathetic activation.