[Marcmedic]

Typically COPD has nothing to do with a pulmonary embolism. It's the risk factors like smoking that lead to COPD and/or a pulmonary embolism. A job where you sit a lot, birth control pills, atrial fibrillation etc... all are some of the risk factors for a PE. Is someone is bed ridden and has COPD the're at risk, but not because of the COPD, because of the lack of mobility. By the way...typically if someone has a PE outside of the hospital, the MD's find it in the autopsy...it's really not something to mess around with, so if you think you or someone else is having one...get your ass to the hospital