Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism: a multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently considered in patients presenting to the emergency department or when hospitalized. Although early treatment is highly effective, PE is underdiagnosed and, therefore, the disease remains a major health problem. Since symptoms and signs are non specific and the consequences of anticoagulant treatment are considerable, objective tests to either establish or refute the diagnosis have become a standard of care. Diagnostic strategy should be based on clinical evaluation of the probability of PE. The accuracy of diagnostic tests for PE are high when the results are concordant with the clinical assessment. Additional testing is necessary when the test results are inconsistent with clinical probability. The present review article represents the consensus-based recommendations of the Interdisciplinary Association for Research in Lung Disease (AIMAR) multidisciplinary Task Force for diagnosis and treatment of PE. The aim of this review is to provide clinicians a practical diagnostic and therapeutic management approach using evidence from the literature.

Massive Pulmonary Embolism and Thrombolytic Therapy: Case Study

“…When obstruction occurs, the impaired pulmonary circulation causes diminished blood flow to the right cardiac ventricle and patients will experience a sudden onset of symptoms. 7 Unexplained chest pain and/or dyspnea is present in about 97% of patients with acute PE. 7 Other symptoms may include unilateral swelling of an extremity, fainting or syncope, and/ or hemoptysis.…”

“…7 Unexplained chest pain and/or dyspnea is present in about 97% of patients with acute PE. 7 Other symptoms may include unilateral swelling of an extremity, fainting or syncope, and/ or hemoptysis. 5 Subacute massive PEs can be caused by multiple small or moderately sized emboli that accumulate over several weeks.…”

Correlation of Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index and Pulmonary Artery Involvement in Ct Pulmonary Angiogram- Experience in a Tertiary Care Centre

“…Some other parameters, which have been studied including pulmonary artery size and contrast reflux have not been found to be reliable criteria for PE severity. 13 The proposed algorithm attempts to fulfil both these requirements with the usage of clinical risk prediction scores and a stepwise approach to assessing RV function that avoids unnecessary testing.…”

Kissing Sheath Technique for Permanent Inferior Vena Cava

“…Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening condition where an embolus after being formed in the deep veins of the legs or pelvis, travels to the lungs where it may occlude one or more of the pulmonary arteries. PE is therefore regarded as one of the manifestations of the condition venous thromboembolism, which is the third most common cardiovascular disorder in industrialized countries [1] including the United States [2,3]. The common treatment, once a diagnosis is confirmed, is to administer anticoagulants to resolve the clot.…”