Medical College of Wisconsin
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Role of echocardiography in managing acute pulmonary embolism. Heart 2019 Dec;105(23):1785-1792

Date

08/24/2019

Pubmed ID

31439657

DOI

10.1136/heartjnl-2019-314776

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85071634492 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   48 Citations

Abstract

The role of echocardiography in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains incompletely defined. Echocardiography cannot reliably diagnose acute PE, and it does not improve prognostication of patients with low-risk acute PE who lack other clinical features of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Echocardiography, however, may yield additional prognostic information in higher risk patients and can aid in distinguishing acute from chronic RV dysfunction. Specific echocardiographic markers of RV dysfunction have the potential to enhance prognostication beyond existing risk models. Until these markers are subjected to rigorous prospective studies, the therapeutic utility and economic value of echocardiography in acute PE are uncertain.

Author List

Dabbouseh NM, Patel JJ, Bergl PA



MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acute Disease
Diagnosis, Differential
Echocardiography
Humans
Prognosis
Pulmonary Embolism
Risk Assessment
Thrombolytic Therapy
Thrombosis
Ventricular Dysfunction, Right