Four signs of pulmonary embolism mean 'call 999' after Catherine O'Hara death
Thousands of people die of pulmonary embolism every year in the UK and the US, with a new report confirming it as the cause of death of beloved Hollywood star Catherine O’Hara, with cancer as the underlying cause. The Beetlejuice and Home Alone star died on January 30 at the age of 71, with a Los Angeles County death certificate issued on Monday listing embolism as the immediate cause of her death at a hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Rectal cancer was given as the long-term cause of her death, with the oncologist who signed off the certificate indicating that he had been treating her since March last year. The Canadian-American actress was also known for her role in TV comedy Schitt’s Creek, for which she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Eugene Levy, her on-screen husband in the US sitcom, said he was struggling for words to describe the loss of the actress. Levy said: “Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honour of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over 50 years.” He added that he “cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship”.
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Alec Baldwin, who starred with her in Beetlejuice, described O’Hara as “one of the greatest comic talents in the movie business” who possessed “a quality that was all her own”.
A more recent role saw O’Hara starring in the second season of The Last Of Us, alongside Pedro Pascal, who paid tribute to her, saying: “Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always.”
A pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs, and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly, according to the NHS. Symptoms can vary depending on the size of the clot, but the primary warning signs are often sudden.
The most common signs that you should look out for include:
Sudden Breathlessness: Difficulty breathing that comes on without warning, even when resting.
Chest Pain: A sharp or stabbing pain that usually gets worse when you breathe in (pleuritic pain).
Coughing up Blood: You may cough up small amounts of blood or blood-stained phlegm.
Feeling Unwell: This can include feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or passing out (fainting).
You may also experience:
Rapid Heartbeat: A racing heart or palpitations.
Fever: A high temperature.
Leg Symptoms (DVT): Since most PEs start as a blood clot in the leg (Deep Vein Thrombosis), you might have pain, redness, or swelling in one of your legs (usually the calf).
The NHS advises that a pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency. You should call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you experience:
Severe difficulty breathing.
Sudden or severe chest pain or pain in your upper back.
A very fast heartbeat.
If someone has passed out or collapsed.
Some people may have very mild symptoms or even no symptoms at all, where the clot is only found during scans for other conditions.