What to know about pulmonary embolism, including risks and prevention
ACCLAIMED ACTRESS CATHERINE O’HARA SUFFERED A PULMONARY EMBOLISM THAT CAUSED HER SUDDEN DEATH TWO WEEKS AGO. JADE JARVIS IS AT DELRAY BEACH MEDICAL CENTER WITH MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIFE THREATENING CONDITION, THE RISK AND PREVENTION. ACTRESS CATHERINE O’HARA, BELOVED BY MANY GENERATIONS FOR HER WORK IN VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS, INCLUDING HOME ALONE, DIED OF A PULMONARY EMBOLISM. ACCORDING TO HER DEATH CERTIFICATE, A PULMONARY ARTERY EMBOLISM IS A BLOOD CLOT THAT GOES INTO THE LUNGS, THE ARTERIES OF THE LUNGS, AND IT PREVENTS THE LUNGS FROM OXYGENATING THE BLOOD. AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH. DOCTOR JOSEPH RICOTTA IS THE NATIONAL MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF VASCULAR SURGERY AND ENDOVASCULAR THERAPY FOR TENANT HEALTH CARE. HE SAYS PEOPLE WHO LEAD A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE ARE ON HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY, BIRTH CONTROL OR HAVE CANCER, LIKE O’HARA ARE ALL AT HIGHER RISK FOR DEVELOPING BLOOD CLOTS. ONE OF THE FIRST SYMPTOMS BEFORE YOU EVEN GET A PULMONARY EMBOLISM IS SOME DISCOMFORT, USUALLY IN YOUR CALVES, SOME SWELLING IN YOUR LEGS, AND IF NOT CAUGHT IN TIME, THEY CAN BE FATAL. ABOUT ONE THIRD OF PEOPLE WITH AN UNDIAGNOSED AND UNTREATED PULMONARY EMBOLISM DON’T SURVIVE. A LARGE PULMONARY EMBOLISM IS IS JUST A LARGE AMOUNT OF CLOT, A BIG BURDEN OF CLOT THAT GOES FROM YOUR LEGS TO YOUR LUNGS, AND THAT CAN KILL YOU INSTANTANEOUSLY, AS IS LIKELY. WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. THERE ARE TREATMENT OPTIONS LIKE BLOOD THINNERS AND SURGERY. AND NOW AI TECHNOLOGY TO DIAGNOSE PATIENTS. WE USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO IDENTIFY PULMONARY EMBOLISMS ON A CAT SCAN THAT A PATIENT WOULD GO THROUGH. AND WHAT IT HAS RESULTED IN IS OUR TIME OF ARRIVAL TO THE ER TO TREATMENT HAS IMPROVED FROM ABOUT FOUR HOURS OR SO TO ABOUT 20 MINUTES. SOME OF THE WAYS YOU CAN DECREASE YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING PULMONARY EMBOLISM ARE MAKING LIFESTYLE CHANGES, LIKE BEING MORE ACTIV
What to know about pulmonary embolism, including risks and prevention
Updated: 6:46 AM EST Feb 11, 2026
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Acclaimed actress Catherine O’Hara suffered a pulmonary embolism that caused her sudden death two weeks ago, according to her death certificate.“A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that goes into the lungs, the arteries of the lungs, and it prevents the lungs from oxygenating the blood. And a lot of times that can cause death,” Dr. Joseph Ricotta said.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Ricotta is the national medical director of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy for Tenet Healthcare and a vascular surgeon at Delray Medical Center.He said people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, are on hormone replacement therapy, birth control, or have cancer, like O’Hara, are all at higher risk for developing blood clots.“One of the first symptoms before you even get a pulmonary embolism is some discomfort, usually in your calves, some swelling in your legs,” Ricotta said.And if they are not caught in time, they can be fatal.About one-third of people with an undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism don’t survive.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25“A large pulmonary embolism is just a large amount of clot, a big burden of clot that goes from your legs to your lungs, and that can kill you instantaneously. It is likely what happened in this case,” Ricotta said.But there are treatment options, like blood thinners and surgery, and now AI technology, called Viz Vascular, to diagnose patients.“We use artificial intelligence to identify pulmonary embolism on a CAT scan that a patient would go through. And what it has resulted in is our time of arrival to the ER to treatment has improved from about four hours or so to about 20 minutes,” Ricotta said.Some ways people can reduce their risk of developing pulmonary embolism include making lifestyle changes, such as being more active and staying hydrated.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Acclaimed actress Catherine O’Hara suffered a pulmonary embolism that caused her sudden death two weeks ago, according to her death certificate.
“A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that goes into the lungs, the arteries of the lungs, and it prevents the lungs from oxygenating the blood. And a lot of times that can cause death,” Dr. Joseph Ricotta said.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Ricotta is the national medical director of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy for Tenet Healthcare and a vascular surgeon at Delray Medical Center.
He said people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, are on hormone replacement therapy, birth control, or have cancer, like O’Hara, are all at higher risk for developing blood clots.
“One of the first symptoms before you even get a pulmonary embolism is some discomfort, usually in your calves, some swelling in your legs,” Ricotta said.
And if they are not caught in time, they can be fatal.
About one-third of people with an undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism don’t survive.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
“A large pulmonary embolism is just a large amount of clot, a big burden of clot that goes from your legs to your lungs, and that can kill you instantaneously. It is likely what happened in this case,” Ricotta said.
But there are treatment options, like blood thinners and surgery, and now AI technology, called Viz Vascular, to diagnose patients.
“We use artificial intelligence to identify pulmonary embolism on a CAT scan that a patient would go through. And what it has resulted in is our time of arrival to the ER to treatment has improved from about four hours or so to about 20 minutes,” Ricotta said.
Some ways people can reduce their risk of developing pulmonary embolism include making lifestyle changes, such as being more active and staying hydrated.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
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