Kenny JF, Zhong X, Brown C, Das D, Royall B, Kapoor M. Bedside echocardiography for undifferentiated hypotension: diagnosis of a right heart thrombus.
West J Emerg Med 2014;
16:178-80. [PMID:
25671037 PMCID:
PMC4307712 DOI:
10.5811/westjem.2014.12.23262]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A free-floating right heart thrombus is often a harbinger of a massive pulmonary embolism and must be diagnosed and treated rapidly in order to avoid significant adverse sequelae. We present the case of an 84-year-old female who presented with two days of dyspnea and was hypotensive on arrival. Bedside ultrasound was performed by the emergency physician and showed a large, mobile right heart thrombus leading to immediate administration of a thrombolytic. In this case, bedside ultrasound was utilized to help further delineate clinical care in a progressively worsening patient, leading to a potentially lifesaving treatment.
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