embolism /em″bəliz′əm/ , an abnormal condition in which an embolus travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a blood vessel. Symptoms vary with the character of the embolus, the degree of occlusion that results, and the size, nature, and location of the occluded vessel. Kinds include air embolism, fat embolism, gas embolism. −embolic, adj.
