Sudden breathlessness after a long flight: suspected pulmonary embolism

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Educational simulation. Not for real patient care and not a substitute for supervised training. Always follow local protocols.

What you will practise

Recognise the risk factors and presentations of pulmonary embolism and keep it in the differential of acute dyspnoea and pleuritic chest pain.
Apply a structured clinical probability assessment and explain when D-dimer is and is not useful.
Prioritise early anticoagulation when clinical probability is high while imaging is awaited.
Choose appropriate imaging and risk-stratify using haemodynamics, right ventricular function and biomarkers.
Recognise obstructive shock from high-risk pulmonary embolism and explain the role of systemic reperfusion.
Plan secondary prevention, including management of provoking factors and duration of anticoagulation.

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