Heavy D & the Boyz
Rapper Heavy D (Dwight Arrington Myers), age 44, collapsed outside his Beverly Hills condo and passed away in November 2011. He complained of difficulty breathing shortly before collapsing and he had recently taken a long plane ride from Europe.
What is your most likely diagnosis? [Scroll down for the answer]
Answer: Pulmonary Embolism
"Heavy D & the PE"
Autopsy showed a large pulmonary artery embolism and a deep vein thrombosis. He also had evidence of heart disease.
Remember Virchow's triad... long plane/train/car rides lead to immobilization and stasis in the lower extremities which increases the risk of thrombosis. So if a patient is sitting, sitting, sitting and then they start walking, get short of breath, and collapse.... start thinking about pulmonary embolism!
Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/28/local/la-me-1228-rapper-death-20111228