Jamil Abdur-Rahman, M.D., FACOG

According to multiple media reports Miami Heat Power Forward Chris Bosh was recently diagnosed with a Pulmonary Embolism after complaining of chest pain while on a recent All Star break trip to Haiti. Pulmonary Embolisms, which are more commonly known as PE’s or blood clots in the lungs, are exceedingly rare in young, healthy, active young males, and this fact makes Bosh’s diagnosis both surprising and potentially very concerning. Not only can PE’s be deadly, with nearly 30% of all PE sufferers dying as a result of their clots, but the presence of a PE can also indicate that there is an additional medical condition present that led to the development of the PE to begin with. Commonly PE’s are seen in people who have had a prolonged period of inactivity, in people who have suffered a recent trauma or in people who are pregnant. Additionally PE’s are frequently seen in people with untreated heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, cancer or blood clotting disorders. At the very least Bosh will likely miss the remainder on the 2015 NBA season as he undergoes treatment with powerful blood thinning medications that will target the pulmonary embolism he currently has. As Bosh undergoes additional testing over the next few days to determine why a seemingly healthy, active male developed a PE to begin with, lets all hope that the why is not going to be more troubling than the what. Good luck Chris