Patients with acute pulmonary embolism should have an echocardiogram to guide treatment decisions.
A 62-year-old man with a past medical history notable for hypertension, osteoarthritis, and calf deep vein thrombosis at age 55 following a total hip arthroplasty presents to the emergency department with acute-onset dyspnea and right-sided pleuritic chest pains. His medications consist of a calcium channel blocker and a COX-2 inhibitor. Pretest clinical suspicion for pulmonary embolism (PE) is high. Ventilation and perfusion lung scintigraphy are interpreted as being high-probability for PE. The nurse asks if a stat transthoracic echocardiogram should be ordered.
AlMahameed
Amjad
A
Section of Vascular Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, S60, Cleveland, OH, USA. almahaa@ccf.org
Bartholomew
John R
JR
D000208:Acute Disease; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*