pulmonary embolism

pulmonary embolism, obstruction of a pulmonary artery or one of its branches. The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. A pulmonary embolism may be the result of a blood clot that has formed elsewhere, has broken loose, and has traveled through the circulatory system to the point of obstruction; or it may be due to some other obstruction, such as fat or a bubble of air.