Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Blood Clots
Yaz pulmonary embolism side effects are caused by blood clots, a common side effect of oral contraceptives. Women using this birth control pill are exposed to both estrogen and drospirenone, a synthetic progestin hormone. Together, they significantly increase the risk of abnormal clotting.
Yaz pulmonary embolism side effects are caused by blood clots, a common side effect of oral contraceptives. Women using this birth control pill are exposed to both estrogen and drospirenone, a synthetic progestin hormone. Together, they significantly increase the risk of abnormal clotting.
In nine out of ten cases, a pulmonary embolism is triggered by blood clots that originate in the deep veins of the legs. This is a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The clots break away from the wall of the vein and are carried along by your bloodstream. Because blood flows from your deep veins to your heart and lungs, these clots can find their way into your pulmonary arteries. If a clot becomes lodged within one of these blood vessels, you will experience a PE.
Diagnosing the condition is challenging since symptoms may be caused by factors unrelated to clots. Once your doctor has created a preliminary diagnosis with CT scans and MRIs, he or she will perform a lung perfusion scan. This is also known as a ventilation-perfusion, or V/Q scan.
How A Lung Perfusion Scan Works
There are two phases of a V/Q scan: ventilation and perfusion. The first phase allows your doctor to study the flow of air through your lungs. The second outlines the flow of blood as it moves through the veins and arteries supplying your lungs. Examining both is made possible by introducing a trace amount of radioactive material into your body.
For the ventilation phase, you’ll be asked to wear a breathing mask to inhale oxygen that contains radioisotopes. The trace material is distributed into the alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. A special scanner is used to track the radioisotopes and construct an image of its distribution.
For the perfusion phase, your doctor will inject a solution that contains the radioactive tracers. The material is given time to flow through the entry vein toward your heart and lungs. As before, the scanner tracks the radioisotopes as they move through the venous and arterial network supplying your lungs.
Perfusion scan results that are normal mean there is no obstruction within the blood vessels of the lungs. Thus, a Yaz pulmonary embolism can be ruled out. Abnormal results, however, require further investigation.
Do Abnormal Results Indicate A PE?
Areas in which the flow of radioisotopes is restricted suggest the presence of blood clots in the pulmonary arteries. However, abnormal results may also reflect other factors – both for the ventilation and perfusion phases.
For example, emphysema can cause restrictions in the blood vessels near damaged lung tissue. Unless the condition is ruled out, it may be mistaken for a pulmonary embolism. Chronic smoking, pneumonia, and arterial occlusions can also present abnormal results and appear similar to a PE.
V/Q scans are valuable because they provide your doctor with images that are higher in quality than those produced by CT scans and MRIs. However, because of the uncertainty surrounding the results, a final test is often required.
The Final Step For Diagnosing Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Blood Clots
The gold standard for diagnosing a PE is pulmonary angiography. A catheter is inserted and guided toward the arteries supplying your lungs, and a radiopaque dye is released. X-rays are taken of the dye’s flow. The x-ray images of your lung arteries are clear and will reveal blood clots that are obstructing the passage of the dye.
The drawback of this test is that it is invasive. The catheter can potentially cause a heart arrhythmia and the dye can cause kidney damage. For these reasons, it is normally done following a V/Q scan that has produced abnormal results.
PE is a serious medical event that can lead to impaired lung function. If the condition is left untreated, it can be fatal. If you have suffered blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or other dangerous Yaz side effects, you may have the right to file a claim for compensation. Contact a Yaz attorney to discuss your options.
Resources:
Jason Springer is the author of this article on Yaz Lawsuit 2010.
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