Which of the following are common signs of a pulmonary embolism?

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Pulmonary embolism most often presents with sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. When a blockage occurs in a pulmonary artery, it disrupts blood flow and causes a mismatch between air reaching the lungs and blood flow, leading to breathing difficulty. The chest pain is typically sharp and worsens with deep breaths because the inner lining of the lung can become irritated as the embolus affects lung tissue. While other signs like rapid heart rate or additional symptoms can occur, the combination of abrupt shortness of breath and sudden chest pain is the most characteristic and commonly observed presentation, making it the best choice. Shortness of breath alone is common to many conditions and doesn’t specify PE, while chest pain with fever more often points to infection, and having tachycardia without the accompanying breathlessness and chest pain doesn’t capture the typical PE picture.