Final answer:
The 'classic' signs and symptoms of a Pulmonary Embolism (PE) include shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough, yet these occur in less than a third of patients. The wide range of potential symptoms leads to reliance on diagnostic tests such as CT scans and blood tests for confirmation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The classic signs and symptoms for a Pulmonary Embolism (PE) are shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough. However, these three signs and symptoms actually occur in less than a third of the patients. The presentation of PE can be varied and non-specific, which makes it a challenging diagnosis. Other symptoms may include leg pain or swelling (usually in the calf), a rapid heart rate, or feeling lightheaded or dizzy. Pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
Due to the variability in symptoms, healthcare providers often rely on diagnostic imaging tests, such as a CT scan or a lung V/Q scan, as well as blood tests like the D-dimer test, to help confirm or rule out a PE diagnosis.