Apulmonary embolism (PE)是肺部的一个动脉中的堵塞。鞍体是当大血块卡在主肺动脉中时。

In most cases, a blockage can happen when a blood clot breaks loose and travels to your lungs from the large veins in your legs or other parts of your body. A PE can also be caused by a tumor, fat matter, or air that gets into the lungs.

Saddle PE is a life-threatening condition that needs emergency treatment. We’ll discuss all you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatments for this serious condition.

Saddle PE is when a large blood clot (thrombus) gets stuck where the main pulmonary artery branches off into a Y-shape to go into each lung. The name refers to the fact that the clot “saddles” on top of both branch arteries.

Saddle PEs are rare — they make up only about2 to 5 percentof all PE cases. If left untreated, any kind of PE is dangerous because it can block blood flow to the lungs.

一个鞍PE通常是一个更大更unstable blood clot. This can increase the risk of it breaking up and causing blockages further down into the right and left pulmonary arteries, or other parts of the lungs.

的pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood from the heart and to the lungs, where it’s loaded up with life-giving oxygen. If a saddle PE blocks one or more of the pulmonary arteries, this can lead to heart failure and death.

马鞍PE的体征和症状是其他类型的PE。他们包括：

  • 胸痛
  • 呼吸急促
  • cough
  • blood-streaked spit from coughing
  • difficulty breathing
  • fast heart rate
  • irregular heartbeat
  • low blood pressure
  • lightheadness or dizziness
  • fever
  • 乳皮的皮肤
  • blue skin
  • 腿部疼痛或肿胀（如果血块在腿部静脉内开始）
  • fainting

What to do if you or a loved one suspects a PE

如果您或亲人有无法解释的胸痛，呼吸困难或上面列出的任何其他症状，请立即寻求紧急医疗或立即致电911。

You should also get urgent medical treatment if you or a loved one has any sign of a blood clot in the leg (DVT), which can lead to a PE.

Signs and symptoms of a DVT include:

  • throbbing or cramping leg pain, usually in the calf or thigh
  • 难以触摸或酸痛的静脉肿胀
  • swelling in one leg (rarely both legs)
  • warm skin around the painful area
  • red or darkened skin around the painful area

Saddle PE is treated in the same way that other PE cases are treated. The goal of treatment is to prevent the clot from getting bigger or new clots from forming. Treatment options include:

  • 血液稀释剂（抗凝剂）注射
  • blood thinner oral medication
  • thrombolytics (clot-dissolving medication)
  • 通过血管中的导管去除凝块

鞍体PE通常以腿部或身体另一部分的血块开始。整个凝块或部分可以携带到肺部。

的re are several causes and types of blood clots. We’ll go over a few of the common factors that can lead you to develop a saddle PE.

Health conditions

心脏和血管疾病是PE的一些主要危险因素，因为它们会影响流入肺部的血液。

Some of these conditions include:

其他可能会增加您患血块风险的疾病，包括鞍体PE，包括：

You may also be at risk of getting a saddle PE, if you’ve recently had a serious injury orsurgery.

Medications

Medications that are used to dissolve or break down clots in the body can lead to PE as well. This happens when a clot — or a piece of one — breaks off the wall of a blood vessel and travels to the lungs. Clot-busting drugs are calledthrombolytics, and they include:

  • anistreplase (Eminase)
  • reteplase (Retavase)
  • streptokinase (Streptase)
  • tissue plasminogen activator class of drugs (Activase)

Other medications and treatments that may cause clots to form in the body include:

  • birth control pills
  • hormone therapy
  • 输血
  • 手术，尤其是骨科（骨）手术
  • hemophilia drugs that help blood to clot
  • tamoxifen
  • thalidomide
  • 顺铂
  • vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (like bevacizumab)
  • tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors (like sorafenib)
  • L-asparaginase
  • 列纳略胺
  • some vitamins, minerals, and supplements

您不能总是阻止鞍体PE发生。它可以出于任何确切的原因发生，也可能是由于无法预防的潜在条件或原因。

However, you may be able to reduce your risk of a saddle PE by keeping your risk factors for blood clots in check. Here’s a few things you can do:

  • 避免或quit smoking
  • 避免长时间坐着或铺设
  • keep up with a regular exercise routine
  • wearcompression stockings
  • check your blood pressure regularly
  • keep your blood sugar levels balanced

Saddle PE is treatable, but you must get urgent medical care.

的outlook for people with saddle PE is similar to those with other types of PEs. In some cases, the clot may dissolve on its own.

You may have to stay in the hospital for several days to make sure you’re in the clear. But you’ll likely have to continue treatment once you go home. Most people take blood thinner medication for at least3 monthsafter they have the PE.

Depending on the cause of the saddle PE, you may need additional medications, treatments, and/or lifestyle changes to prevent it from happening again.

A2014 studyfound that the mortality rate for saddle PE was 3.62 percent, compared to 3.19 percent for people with other types of PE. However, the rates of other health complications were higher in people with saddle PE. These complications include:

  • heart attack or heart failure
  • shock
  • respiratory failure
  • need for further thrombolytic treatment

A saddle PE is a rare kind of PE that gets its name from its position when it gets stuck in the lungs. This clot sits within the main artery of the lungs, where it begins to branch off to either side. For this reason, a saddle PE has a high risk of blocking blood flow to the lungs.

All types of PE need urgent medical treatment. With treatment, the survival rate for a saddle PE (and other PEs) is good.

的re are several causes for saddle PE. You may need ongoing treatment and lifestyle changes depending on the cause of the clot. This can help prevent a saddle PE from happening again.