A patient is on postoperative day 4 after undergoing a total hip replacement. He is diagnosed as having a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism may occur as a postoperative complication of

Question

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Venous status, venous wall injury, and increased coagulability of blood cause the formation of a venous thrombosis. The thrombus (usually in the deep veins of the lower extremities) dislodges and travels through the venous circulation; it passes through the right side of the heart and enters the pulmonary artery, where it becomes lodged.

A Patient Is on Postoperative Day 4 After Undergoing a Total