I saw on TV that a girl had died of a broken leg.
A blood clot had entered her lungs. Is it true that you can die then?
Asker: Mariken, 12 years old
Answer
In very exceptional cases, it is possible that someone dies from a broken leg. It is true that the lungs contain very fine veins. If a blood clot flows through the veins, there is a chance that it will get stuck at the level of the lungs, causing a blockage and part of the lung tissue will no longer receive oxygen and die.
Fortunately, our doctors and nurses are so well trained that it does not happen with us.
Answered by
Dr. Peter Strager
Molecular Microbiology Biomedical Sciences Medical and pharmaceutical research Molecular Biotechnology
university of Ghent
http://www.ugent.be
.