Pulmonary embolism is one of the three leading causes of cardiovascular death. Compartment syndrome is a rare complication that can occur in the treatment of pulmonary embolism with thrombolytic therapy.

Pulmonary embolism is an internal medical emergency, especially in the elderly, if not diagnosed and treated promptly, the mortality rate is very high. In Vietnam, pulmonary embolism has gradually become more common than before thanks to the diagnostic method using contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography.