embolism
Last reviewed 01/2018
An embolism is the sudden blockage of an artery by matter from a distant source. In practice this is most commonly blood clot which has broken off from a thrombus elsewhere in the body - thromboembolism; however, embolic material can be anything that can enter the circulation.
An embolus, the material that produces embolism, may be:
- thrombus
- fat
- air
- amniotic fluid
- foreign body
The treatment of various forms of embolism in the acute situation is detailed in the submenu.