Diagnosing Blood Clots

[Jpanda97]

My husband has had two episodes with dizziness, light headedness and now chest pains.  He has had blood tests, CAT scan of the head, lung and back and finally a stress test.  During the last episode he had chest pains that were severe enough that they put him on morphine.  All tests have been normal and he has been sent home.  He is a paraplegic.  Is there another way to diagnosis blood clots?  

[Jpanda97]

Thanks so much for your reply to my question.

[kenkeith]

What you may be referring to are pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in respiratory system).  To test for that can be pulmonary angiography with a catheter device . It's not available at all hospitals, and a trained specialist must perform the test.

Pulmonary angiography is a test used to diagnose pulmonary embolism.  The procedure involves a flexible tube called a catheter that is threaded through the groin (upper thigh) or arm to the blood vessels in the lungs. Dye is injected into the blood vessels through the catheter.  May be a better test than CT scan?!

X-ray pictures are taken to show blood flowing through the blood vessels in the lungs. If a blood clot is found, your doctor may use the catheter to extract it or deliver medicine to dissolve it.