Pulmonary Embolism
Original Post: Is Pulmonary Embolism connected to PPS?
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Fortunately not. After more than 35 years of treating polio survivors, we have never had one who had had a pulmonary embolus. Even though polio survivors feet are often purple and blood pools when it's cool or cold, the blood does indeed flow back to the heart and doesn't stay in the limb to clot, so there is no predisposition to having blood clots in the legs moving to the heart and lungs.
Additional Post: The lack of activity and especially legs that don't work anymore. Does that cause swelling?
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Lack of activity can cause swelling especially when the weather is warm. If you remember there was a huge outcry a few years ago about people on flights from the US to Australia developing blood clots in their legs and then pulmonary embolisms. Everyone was told to move their feet up and down and to walk as often as they could.
If flying to Australia did cause blood clots, every polio survivor who has used a wheelchair since 1952 because both lower legs were paralyzed should be dead due to blood clots in their lungs and brain!