A 34-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a sudden midsternal chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough with bloody sputum for the past 3 hours. She is admitted to the intensive care unit but dies despite treatment efforts. Lung autopsy findings are shown in the image below. Which of the following is the most likely inciting event that led to this patient's death?

Question

A 34-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a sudden midsternal chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough with bloody sputum for the past 3 hours. She is admitted to the intensive care unit but dies despite treatment efforts.  Lung autopsy findings are shown in the image below.  Which of the following is the most likely inciting event that led to this patient's death?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Massive pulmonary embolism can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to a sudden loss of cardiac output.  Less commonly, SCD may result from cardiac arrhythmia triggered by right ventricular strain and ischemia.

A 34-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Emergency Department Because of a Sudden