WHEN DUTY TURNS FATAL: A CASE OF SUDDEN DEATH FROM SADDLE PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN A 37 YEAR-OLD. A CASE REPORT.
Formerly Published in Vol. 7 No. 1 Jul. - Dec., 2022
Keywords:
Sudden death, pulmonary embolism, saddle embolus, autopsyAbstract
Sudden death in a young, seemingly healthy individual is a tragic and alarming event. We report a case of a 37 year old male hotel supervisor who succumbed to a saddle pulmonary embolism while on duty. The diagnosis was confirmed post-mortem via autopsy. This case underscores the importance of early recognition and prevention of venous thromboembolism even in individuals without apparent risk factors. The lesson from this report is lack of prior symptoms in an apparently healthy young man with no traditional risk factors for pulmonary embolism. A review of the clinical significance, risk factors and preventive strategies for pulmonary embolism is presented.
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