Acute pulmonary embolism with right ventricular dysfunction and left ventricular collapse. Case report.

• Main Authors: Jorge Eliécer Rivas-Ibargüen, Carmenza Beatriz Camargo Barrios, Juan Camilo Pedreros Guerra, Manuel Álvarez Gaviria
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Cauca 2016-06-01
• Series: Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud
• Subjects: Embolia pulmonar, fibrinólisis, Terapia trombolítica, reporte de caso
• Online Access: http://facultadsalud.unicauca.edu.co/revista/ojs2/index.php/rfcs/article/view/137

We present the case of a patient with high risk Pulmonary Embolism (PE) due to right ventricular dysfunction and severe hemodynamic dysfunction. The patient required thrombolytic therapy in the context of an initial suspicion of an acute coronary event. PE is a frequent, preventable clinical entity characterized by sudden occlusion of the pulmonary artery. The clinical spectrum is wide, from asymptomatic patients to death by shock and circulatory collapse. The basis of its treatment is anticoagulation. Therapies such as thrombolysis have been shown to have benefits in the mortality of patients in the scenario of shock and hemodynamic instability if there are no contraindications for its use. This entity represents a challenge since the clinical manifestations may be very similar to those of an acute coronary event and other potentially fatal conditions.