Keywords
Emergency Medical Assistance Services
emergency room, malaise
Mobile Emergency and Intensive Care Services
prehospital echocardiography
pulmonary embolism
thoracic angioscan
How to Cite
Abstract
Pulmonary embolism is a frequent cardiovascular emergency, but the clinical diagnosis is often difficult. Confusion with acute coronary syndrome can be possible; an echocardiography at the prehospital care could enable to discriminate these two pathologies.
We report the case of a 54 years old woman, with dyslipidaemia and overweight, examined by a prehospital medicalized team in Paris region for chest pain. The electrocardiogram found a depressed ST-segment in the inferolateral and apical segments. A prehospital echocardiography rectified the initial diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in favor of a pulmonary embolism with signs of acute cor pulmonale and the absence of left ventricular dysfunction. These arguments had allowed initiating the appropriate treatment and guiding the patient to the adequate service.
With the advent of compact and portable devices, ultrasound is now transportable in prehospital medicine. The echography seems simple, non-invasive, extremely informative and discriminating; in prehospital setting, it must help answering questions without delaying the standard care.
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