A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a sudden blockage in a lung artery. It usually happens when a blood clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. PE is a serious condition that can cause permanent damage to the lungs, low oxygen levels in your blood, and damage to other organs in your body from not getting enough oxygen. PE can be life-threatening, especially if a clot is large, or if there are many clots.
Pulmonary embolism symptoms can vary greatly, depending on how much of your lung is involved, the size of the clots, and whether you have underlying lung or heart disease. Common signs and symptoms include shortness of breath (which will suddenly appear and get worse), chest pain (sharp pain, often when you breathe in deeply), and a cough (may be bloody). Other signs and symptoms that can occur with pulmonary embolism include rapid or irregular heartbeat, lightheadedness, dizziness, excessive sweating, fever, leg pain, leg swelling, and clammy skin.
Treatment of pulmonary embolism is aimed at keeping the blood clot from getting bigger and preventing new clots from forming. Prompt treatment is essential to prevent serious complications or death. Medications include different types of blood thinners and clot dissolvers. Blood thinners (anticoagulants) prevent existing clots from enlarging and new clots from forming while your body works to break up the clots. Clot dissolvers (thrombolytics) can dissolve clots quickly. If you have a very large, life-threatening clot in your lung, your doctor may suggest removing it via a thin, flexible tube (catheter) threaded through your blood vessels. A catheter can also be used to position a filter in the body’s main vein (inferior vena cava) that leads from your legs to the right side of your heart. This filter can help keep clots from going to your lungs.
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for pulmonary embolism:
| ICD-10 Chapter | Codes | Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | I26.01 | Septic pulmonary embolism with acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.02 | Saddle embolus of pulmonary artery with acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.09 | Other pulmonary embolism with acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.90 | Septic pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.92 | Saddle embolus of pulmonary artery without acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.93 | Single subsegmental pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.94 | Multiple subsegmental pulmonary emboli without acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I26.99 | Other pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale |
| 9 | I27.82 | Chronic pulmonary embolism |
| 21 | Z76.711 | Personal history of pulmonary embolism |
Author: Tonoya Ahmed
