title: Usefulness of chest ultrasonography in detecting pulmonary embolism in patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic renal failure: a case report.
abstract: We describe the case of a 75-year-old man affected by a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic renal failure admitted to our emergency department for dyspnea and interscapular stabbing pain. Chest radiography showed diffuse parenchymal consolidation in the lower right lung with bronchiectasis, but the treatment for infection disease did not improve the clinical conditions of the patient. According to Wells score indicating an intermediate risk for pulmonary embolism, we performed a chest ultrasonography that showed ultrasonographic patterns of thromboembolism. Because the presence of chronic renal failure limited the execution of a helical computed tomographic pulmonary angiography, a pulmonary scintigraphy was performed confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Our case suggested that chest ultrasonography can be a valuable tool for early detection of pulmonary embolism and to establish immediately an appropriate therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. zanomau@libero.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanobetti
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigiarini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coppa
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography