Salvage pulmonary thromboembolectomy for massive pulmonary embolism in a child presented with syncope and subsequent cardiac arrest

Abstract

Pulmonary embolism is frequently under-recognised in children and, therefore, a high index of suspicion should be exerted on patients with exertional dyspnoea, presyncope/syncope and unexplained cardiopulmonary arrest. We discuss a 10-year-old previously healthy girl who presented with syncope and subsequent cardiac arrest related to massive pulmonary embolism and was salvaged successfully by emergent pulmonary embolectomy.