Final answer:
Arterial thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot within a vessel, often leading to local blood flow obstruction and increased pressure, whereas arterial embolism involves a clot that travels through the bloodstream and abruptly blocks a vessel, causing immediate and severe problems like heart attacks, strokes, or pulmonary embolisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Arterial Thrombosis and Arterial Embolism
Arterial thrombosis and arterial embolism are conditions that affect the circulatory system, but they have different presentations. A thrombosis is a blood clot that forms at the site of vessel damage and can either partially or completely block the flow of blood within the vessel. This can lead to an increase in local blood pressure and require the heart to work harder to maintain blood flow. In contrast, an embolism occurs when a part of a thrombus, or another particle, breaks free and travels through the bloodstream until it becomes lodged in a smaller vessel, often leading to sudden and serious events like a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism. These blockages are medical emergencies due to the immediate obstruction they cause in vital organs.
In the case of a pulmonary embolism (PE), a clot travels to the lungs and impairs gas exchange by blocking the flow of deoxygenated blood to the lungs, which can lead to lung damage or even death. Ischemic strokes, another instance of embolic events, occur when a clot blocks an artery supplying blood to the brain, resulting in the death of brain cells due to a lack of oxygen. Thrombi can form due to various conditions such as atherosclerosis, thrombocytosis, and hypercoagulable states like lupus, polycythemia vera, or obesity.