11 Apr 2017

The prevalence of pulmonary embolism in Botswana is still not known, says Professor Kiran Bhagat of the Village Medical Centre.
In an interview, Prof. Bhagat described pulmonary embolism as clotting of blood in the lungs.
He said data in the region or the continent is also scarce principally because of lack of diagnostic tools to detect pulmonary embolism.

Prof. Bhagat said the symptoms of this disease are that of worsening shortness of breath and generalised chest pains, which is described as often sharp, pricking and occasionally a heaviness across the chest. He said worsening difficulty in breathing, particularly on minimal activity, is also noted over a period of time and as the disease progresses and increasing stress on the heart and lungs occur, the individual develops failure of cardiac function resulting in worsening fluid accumulation in the lungs, chest and legs.

Prof Bhagat said pulmonary embolism can occur at any age, depending on the cause, stating that in children, it often results from birth defect with the heart or lung system while in middle aged adults it may result from a recent surgery leading to prolonged bed rest and a clot developing in the leg, which travels to the lungs.

As for the elderly, it often results from a clot dispelled from the heart as a result of an irregular rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
He said if not treated, pulmonary embolism, especially a large embolus, may lead to death. ENDS