A 37-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with acute onset
shortness of breath. The patient reports she was on a walk when she suddenly had sharp chest pain worse with inspiration. The patient reports she is otherwise healthy. Her only medication is a
combined oral contraceptive pill, which she recently started taking for birth control. She is a current
smoker, she drinks 3-4 beers daily and she occasionally uses
cocaine. The patient reports she was recently incarcerated. While in the ED, she is noted to have an episode of
hemoptysis. Her temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F),
pulse is 107/min, respirations are 22/min,
blood pressure is 108/80 mm Hg, and oxygen saturation is 90% on room air. Her
chest x-ray and ECG and shown below. Which of the following best describes the pathophysiology of this disease process?
Reproduced from: Radiopaedia
Reproduced from: Wikipedia
