WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE . . .

. . . between a blood clot and an embolism?

BLOOD clotting is a normal response to an injury. When the body is wounded, compounds are released that cause blood cells to clump together into a solid mass, limiting blood loss. But blood clots can form inside an artery or vein and block the circulation, or break apart and travel through the circulation, blocking the blood supply to a major organ such as the brain, with fatal consequences.

The term ‘embolism’ is usually used to describe this serious blockage in blood supply. A pulmonary embolism occurs in the artery that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. An embolism can also refer to a blockage caused by an air bubble or a foreign body.