Which term is a clot that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream?

Study for the SkillsUSA Medical Terminology Exam. Use our comprehensive quiz to test your knowledge with multiple choice questions and get explanations and hints for each question. Prepare for success!

Multiple Choice

Which term is a clot that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream?

Explanation:
A traveling clot is called an embolus. An embolus is any material that breaks loose and moves through the bloodstream, such as a blood clot, fat, air, or tumor fragment. When it lodges in a vessel, it can block blood flow and cause an embolism—the obstruction itself. Erythema is skin redness, and endocarditis is an infection of the heart valves, neither of which describe a moving clot. So the best term for a clot that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream is embolus.

A traveling clot is called an embolus. An embolus is any material that breaks loose and moves through the bloodstream, such as a blood clot, fat, air, or tumor fragment. When it lodges in a vessel, it can block blood flow and cause an embolism—the obstruction itself. Erythema is skin redness, and endocarditis is an infection of the heart valves, neither of which describe a moving clot. So the best term for a clot that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream is embolus.

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