Pulmonary embolism is an emergency, right?

[Tarberta]

My Mum has a had a swollen leg and chest pain for the last couple of days. She’s high risk for blood clots. A very recent blood test showed she possibly has a blood clot and the chest pain indicates a P.E.
They told her the respiratory ward would ring when there’s a bed so she can go in for a CT scan. She’s been waiting since 2pm (now 7pm) and heard nothing. I’m so worried about her. Is this a normal waiting time for something like this?

I’m currently being treated for a PE. Had D dimmer test which came back very raised the same day, my doctors started me straight away on thinners and I went up to the hospital the next morning for scan.

I was told to ring an ambulance straight away if I got any worse over night. I hope your Mum is ok!

@Tarberta

She was on blood thinners because of AF , but she seemed to think she’d had to come off them. That can’t be right though can it? I hope she doesn’t have to go to A and E. she was there for so long a few weeks ago.

You need to take her to a and e. A pulmonary embolism can be fatal. She needs blood thinners immediately.

@Tarberta

I’m nowhere nearby. She is a bit. mixed up which isn’t like her.

Call 999 now and explain the situation, emphasise that she is confused along with everything else. 999 operators can sort out linking to appropriate ambulance service for her area.

Hope your mum is ok. Hopefully safely in hospital being treated by now

How is your mum, OP?

I would also like to know how your mum is, op. Whether she has to be in A&E for long or not, that is where she needed to be. Being confused is a big red flag with a PE.

I didn't want to say this before because I thought it might sound alarmist but my husband died last year of a pulmonary embolism which started off in his leg. My dad died many years before of the same. Both were at home.

People do recover with the right, quick, treatment. I hope your mum is in that category.

Can you take her to A&E? PE can cause stroke and heart attack and needs monitoring as well as the blood thinners.

@Tarberta how is your lovely mum now x