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Pulmonary embolism causes and symptoms
The CDU Bundestag MP Philipp Mißfelder is dead. The politician died at the age of 35 years completely unexpectedly at night on Monday at a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism is usually triggered by a blood clot that has formed in the leg and then migrated to the lungs.
Politician surprisingly died of pulmonary embolism
The CDU Bundestag MP Philipp Mißfelder died in the night on Monday completely surprising in a pulmonary embolism. As the news agency dpa reports, the 35-year-old foreign politician leaves behind his wife and two small children. Union faction leader Volker Kauder said in Berlin: "We are upset, stunned and sad. (...) The CDU / CSU parliamentary group loses one of its most prominent foreign policy leaders and I personally a friend who has accompanied me on many of my travels. "
Image: Christoph Burgstedt-fotolia Missfeld made a healthy impression a few days ago
Just a few days ago, Missfeld made a healthy impression when interviewed on a trip to London on CNN. The cause of a pulmonary embolism is in most cases a blood clot (thrombus) that has developed in the leg, then dissolved and migrated to the lungs. An undiscovered thrombosis quickly becomes a mortal danger.
The dangerous plug can clog small or large pulmonary arteries, depending on its size, thus separating part of the lungs from the bloodstream. Pulmonary embolism may also result from a diving accident of bone fractures.
First symptoms of thrombosis
Signs of thrombosis may include symptoms such as swollen ankles or fat legs, calf pain, and a reddish or bluish discoloration of the skin. Often, however, the signs are not clear according to health experts, which is why first and foremost often do not notice anything. Persistent back pain may also be associated with thrombosis. In the acute case of a pulmonary embolism, respiratory distress can occur, leading to suffocation or collapse of the circulatory system. A blood test and a special ultrasound examination of the leg and pelvic veins can diagnose a thrombosis. Treatment is usually first in the hospital with blood-thinning medications.
Threatening pulmonary embolism in a thrombosis
Because part of the clot dissolves in one of the deep leg and pelvic veins, it is transported with the bloodstream through the heart into the lungs. Here, the clot for breathing closes vital veins and leads to life-threatening pulmonary embolism, according to the DGA. The pulmonary embolism is the third most common leading to death cardiovascular disease in Germany after the heart attack and stroke. The main risk factor for thrombosis is the age, says DGA expert Holger Lawall. From the age of 60, the probability of thrombosis increases significantly. In addition, people with varicose veins, lung or heart disease and smokers and obese would have an increased risk of thrombosis. In case of lack of exercise, such as after prolonged bed rest, the risk of thrombosis is also increased. This applies equally to people who have recently undergone surgery. Last but not least, hormonal changes such as in pregnancy or birth control pills would lead to increased blood clotting and thus an increased risk of thrombosis.
100,000 thrombosis deaths annually
"In Germany alone, around 100,000 people die each year from vascular occlusion due to thrombotic diseases," reports the DGA on the occasion of the campaign for the education and prevention of vascular diseases. Across Europe, more than 500,000 deaths a year are reported. "That's more than traffic accidents, AIDS, breast and prostate cancer together," says the DGA. The aim of this year's campaign was to provide doctors and the general public with information on thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (VTE) "in order to raise public awareness for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this disease."
"35 is too early"
"In our thoughts we are with his wife and two young children," says Kauder. According to the information Mißfelder was a convinced friend of Israel. Kauder explained: "He was very committed to transatlantic relations. He was also a recognized expert on the situation in Eastern Europe and Russia. He also had excellent contacts in Asia. "Mißfelder, born in Gelsenkirchen on 25 August 1979, joined the Junge Union in 1993 and then the CDU in 1995. From 2002 to 2014 he was federal chairman of the Junge Union and most recently foreign policy spokesman for the Union faction in the Bundestag. Opposition politicians such as the Green MP Volker Beck were shocked. His party colleague Juergen Trittin honored Missfeld as an uncomfortable and lateral thinking foreign politician. And left-wing MP Stefan Liebich tweeted: "35 is far too early." (Ad)