embolism

the state in which a small BLOOD VESSEL is blocked by an EMBOLUS. This plug may be fragments of a CLOT , a mass of BACTERIA , air bubbles that have entered the system during an operation or a particle of a TUMOUR . The blockage leads usually to the destruction of that part of the organ supplied by the vessel. The most common case is a pulmonary embolism. Treatment utilizes an ANTICOAGULANT drug such as warfarin or heparin, EMBOLECTOMY or STREPTOKINASE , an ENZYME capable of dissolving blood clots.