Early recognition of postoperative pulmonary thromboembolism after elective hip replacement surgery - a case report

Introduction. Surgical patients have an increased risk of developing pulmonary thromboembolism. Early diagnosis is difficult due to the presence of non-specific symptoms. Case Report. A case of a 72-year-old man admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after elective orthopedic hip replacement surgery is presented, due to a sudden worsening of the general condition accompanied by tachypnea, decreased oxygen saturation, neck cyanosis, hemodynamic instability, and heart rhythm disorders. Pulmonary thromboembolism was confirmed by computed tomography and echocardiography. Conclusion. The symptoms of pulmonary thromboembolism are usually nonspecific. Early recognition with confirmation by diagnostic procedures is important in order to reduce the mortality rate.