Abstract
Pulmonary embolism is a major complication after spinal cord injury and difficult to diagnose in any patient. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an unusual presentation for pulmonary embolism (PE). This article documents the records of a 60-year-old patient who was undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation after traumatic spinal cord injury and multitrauma. His treatment programme was interrupted by a PE with SVT as the only presenting symptom. This article outlines the clinical approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. A high index of suspicion of PE should always be kept in mind when SVT occurs in a spinal cord injured patient.
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Zwecker, M., Heim, M., Azaria, M. et al. Supraventricular tachycardia as a presenting sign of pulmonary embolism in paraplegia. Case report and review. Spinal Cord 33, 278–280 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1995.63
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1995.63