title: Bedside echocardiography for undifferentiated hypotension: diagnosis of a right heart thrombus.
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.
authors: Northwestern University, Emergency Medicine Residency, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: James F
authors: JF
authors: Kenny
authors: Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island, New York.
authors: Xun
authors: X
authors: Zhong
authors: Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island, New York.
authors: Cara
authors: C
authors: Brown
authors: Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island, New York.
authors: Devjani
authors: D
authors: Das
authors: Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island, New York.
authors: Brock
authors: B
authors: Royall
authors: Staten Island University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island, New York.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Kapoor
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000209:etiology*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography