Table 2.

Risk factors for pulmonary embolism

PULMONARY EMBOLISM RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTOR	EXPLANATION
Inactivity and/or prolonged bed rest	Increases venous stasis
Previous PE or DVT	A personal history or immediate family history of clotting are at risks
Surgical procedures	Abdominal, hip or knee replacement, or obstetric/gynecological procedures are higher risk
Medical and genetic conditions	Cancer, chemotherapy, menopausal women on tamoxifen or raloxifene, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (esp. acute exacerbation of CHF), pulmonary disease (esp. acute exacerbation of COPD), factor V Leiden, and antiphospholipid antibody
Overweight BMI	Overweight people produce more leptin, predisposing them to clot formation
Pacemakers or venous catheters	Clots can form on these foreign bodies
Pregnancy and childbirth	Aside from increased rates of bed rest and venous stasis, pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state
Birth control pills	Clotting factors in blood increase in response to estrogen in these medications
Smoking	Increased risk of thrombosis
Dehydration	An acquired risk factor for thrombosis
Increasing age	Unmodifiable risk for thrombosis