Final answer:
The chief complaint of someone with a pulmonary embolism (PE) often includes shortness of breath and chest pain due to a blockage in the pulmonary arteries affecting blood flow to the lungs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The CC (chief complaint) of someone with a pulmonary embolism (PE) is typically shortness of breath, chest pain, and possibly symptoms like coughing up blood. When a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs, there's a risk of a blood clot dislodging and traveling to the lungs where it can obstruct the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs for gas exchange. Pulmonary circulation can be disrupted by a blockage, which leads to oxygen deprivation and potentially severe damage to lung tissue or even death, depending on the clot's size and location.