A Case of Thrombus in Transit: Role of POCUS in Early Diagnosis of Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Pulmonary embolism is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. Thrombus in transit is defined on ultrasound as mobile echogenic material, temporarily located in the right heart chambers making its way to the pulmonary vasculature, which is highly diagnostic of pulmonary embolism. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) places significant role in early diagnosis of thrombus in transit. Point-of-care ultrasound also avoids the need for subsequent computed tomography angiogram for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. We present the case of 53-year-old male who presented with shortness of breath and was noted to have sinus tachycardia; thrombus in transit was diagnosed by point-of-care ultrasound and was subsequently confirmed through computer tomography angiogram of the pulmonary artery.