{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T16:31:54Z","timestamp":1766507514517,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766448000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The management of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in the Emergency Department (ED) remains challenging, particularly in hemodynamically and respiratory stable patients with minimal symptoms. Diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties are further compounded when the condition is complicated by a mobile right atrial (RA) thrombus, representing an extreme-risk phenotype. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 65-year-old male with a single known venous thromboembolism risk factor-chronic venous insufficiency-who presented to the ED following a transient episode of severe dyspnea at home. On admission, he was hemodynamically and respiratory stable, without the need for oxygen supplementation. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed a metabolically compensated acidosis with elevated lactate, while cardiac biomarkers were moderately increased. Emergency point-of-care transthoracic echocardiography (POCUS-TTE) demonstrated severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and a large, mobile intracardiac thrombus prolapsing through the tricuspid valve. Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography confirmed pulmonary embolism and revealed a massive and extensive bilateral thrombotic burden (Qanadli score 32 points). Given the extreme risk for fatal embolization, immediate full-dose systemic thrombolysis with Alteplase (100 mg over 2 h) was initiated in the ED. Thrombolysis was completed without hemorrhagic complications. Follow-up POCUS-TTE at 2 h showed complete resolution of the intracardiac thrombus and significant improvement of RV function (RV\/RA gradient reduced from 40 mmHg to 28 mmHg). Conclusions: This case highlights the effectiveness and safety of early systemic thrombolysis guided by ED POCUS-TTE in PE with a massive thrombotic burden, complicated by a mobile intracardiac thrombus, even in the absence of shock. Such prompt intervention may reduce mortality risk in intermediate-to-high-risk PE subsets, despite limited guidance in current clinical recommendations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics16010048","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T14:05:22Z","timestamp":1766498722000},"page":"48","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Ultrasound Images That Speak: Assessing the Therapeutic Decision in the Emergency Department Regarding the Risk\u2013Benefit Ratio of Systemic Thrombolysis in Intermediate-High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism\u2014A Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7227-2326","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adela","family":"Golea","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department 6 Surgery, Emergency Medicine Discipline, \u201cIuliu-Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8829-6384","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raluca Mihaela","family":"Tat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department 6 Surgery, Emergency Medicine Discipline, \u201cIuliu-Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carina","family":"Adam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-1882-4087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonia","family":"Luka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department 6 Surgery, Emergency Medicine Discipline, \u201cIuliu-Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4817-1776","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirela Anca","family":"Stoia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 3-5 Clinicilor Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department 4 Internal Medicine, Cardiology Medicine Discipline, \u201cIuliu-Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4549-3526","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u0218tefan Cristian","family":"Vesa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cluj-Napoca Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, 23 Iuliu Moldovan Street, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department 1 Functional Sciences, Discipline of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, \u201cIuliu-Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1016\/j.avsg.2019.10.055","article-title":"High Prevalence and Mortality Associated with Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis in Hospitalized Patients at a Tertiary Care Center","volume":"65","author":"Rokosh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. 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