title: [Echocardiography in the diagnosis and therapy of pulmonary embolism].
abstract: A 58 year old woman was admitted to this hospital because of retrosternal pain followed by dyspnea which developed a few hours prior to admission, and two week history of progressive intolerance of physical effort. Echocardiography was done which revealed enlarged cavity of the right atrium (59 x 54 mm) and right ventricle (46 mm) of the heart. (Scintigraphy showed numerous triangular lung zones of sharply decreased or completely absent perfusion. After the diagnosis of recurrent pulmonary embolism, the patient was treated with intravenous heparin at a dosage of 25000 a day for 10 days. Dyspnea settled within 48 hours of starting heparin, analysis of arterial blood gases became normal and the general condition of the patient improved. A repeated echocardigram showed a significantly reduced dilatation of the right atrium from 59 x 45 mm to 47 x 43 mm and decreased pulmonary hypertension from 110 mmHg, on admission, to 65 mmHg.
authors.affiliation: Klinicka bolnica Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Alfirević
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Heitzler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koprćina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mihatov
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006493:Heparin
vernacular_title: Upotreba ehokardiografije u dijagnostici i terapiji plućne embolije.