Acute pulmonary embolus in pregnancy: a case study highlighting the value of TTE

In pregnancy, the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) is increased fivefold when compared to non-pregnant women of the same age, and PE is one of the leading causes of death during pregnancy. However, the diagnosis of PE among pregnant women is complicated by concerns regarding radiation exposure. We report the case of a 36-year-old woman at 9 weeks gestation with an acute PE that highlights the value of transthoracic echocardiography in diagnosis, for initial and on-going treatment in such a setting, while keeping doses of radiation low.