Korean J Med.
2013 Jul;85(1):83-86.
Acute Pulmonary Embolism due to Thrombus-in-Transit in the Right Atrium During Bipolar Endoprosthesis of the Hip
- Affiliations
-
- 1SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kma@brm.co.kr
Abstract
- Venous thromboembolism is a relatively common condition in inhospital patients, but it may also manifest as a lethal disease. However, the diagnosis is not suspected clinically in the vast majority of cases. Most hospitalized patients are at risk of venous thromboembolism, but the risk can be reduced significantly by appropriate prophylaxis. We herein report a case of a huge right atrial thrombus that presented as sudden cardiogenic shock during bipolar endoprosthesis of the hip due to a femoral neck fracture. Although the patient was elderly and immobile for 3 days before hip surgery, she did not receive prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism. More attention should be paid to venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in high-risk patients.