When it may be a pulmonary embolism

Nephrology nurses are often faced with the responsibility of triage. Shortness of breath in a patient receiving chronic dialysis is a frequently heard complaint. Clinicians, at first glance, will consider volume expansion as the probable cause for the shortness of breath, and most often, they are correct. However, for some, that assumption may prove to be detrimental, and moreover, life-threatening. This article discusses pulmonary embolism as a possible consideration when patients present with the complaint of shortness of breath. The incidence, pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment of pulmonary embolism in patients with chronic kidney disease are reviewed.