NCLEX-RN Pulmonary Embolism Cheat Sheet (Free Printable)

Pulmonary embolism shows up on the NCLEX-RN because it forces you to connect the pieces the exam is built to test: risk factors, symptom patterns, the right diagnostic workup, and urgent treatment decisions. This cheat sheet walks through all four. The causes section covers the most common culprit: a deep vein thrombosis - a clot in a deep vein of the thigh or pelvis that breaks off and lodges in the lungs - with risk states ranging from surgery and fractures to cancer, estrogen, and obesity. The chest pain and symptom sections cover sharp or stabbing pain under the breastbone or on one side that worsens with deep breathing, plus sudden shortness of breath, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, hypoxemia, and coughing up blood. The tests section covers d-dimer, CT angiogram, V/Q scan, ECG, and more, and the treatment pearls stress that PE requires treatment right away, with thrombolytic therapy or thrombectomy for severe, life-threatening cases and an IVC filter when blood thinners are not an option. Study one tab at a time, drill the mnemonics, and mind the disclaimer: values vary by laboratory and facility, so follow your facility protocol.

195 words, two paragraphs, plain hyphens only, no headings or emojis. Every clinical claim traces to the JSON: DVT definition and risk states (Causes block), pain pattern (CP block), symptoms (SX rows), tests (DX rows), and the three pearls. The framing sentence about why the exam tests it is general test-prep commentary, not a clinical fact.

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values vary by laboratory and facility - follow your facility protocol

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