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PubMed1995

[Acute pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism is a frequent event, even today the diagnostic comes often too late or not at all. Symptoms, clinical results and additional examinations like ECG, echocardiography, scintigraphy and angiography permit the differentiation between small peripheral and massive central pulmonary embolism [PE], important for the therapeutic procedure. Patients with peripheral PE have to be heparinized, sometimes they can be treated at home. The acute massive PE represents an emergency situation, the patient must be hospitalized immediately. The goals of therapy in massive PE consist in a rapid reduction of the threatening load on the right ventricule by the embolism. If the patient is in cardiogenic shock, surgical embolectomy is indicated, without shock the immediate start of thrombolytic therapy must be considered.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1998

[Spiral CT in pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality that can occur in many clinical situations. For several years, spiral CT has represented a relatively non invasive modality for diagnosing this common disease. The present article is reviewing the CT features of acute and chronic pulmonary embolism, the technical aspects of spiral CT acquisition, the diagnostic accuracy and major limitations and pitfalls of the technique.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1983

Pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is one of the major diagnostic challenges facing the emergency physician, since the failure to rapidly diagnose and treat this condition can result in early mortality. Presently, as many as 100,000 preventable deaths a year may be caused by pulmonary embolism. A high index of suspicion and a well thought out approach to the diagnosis and treatment of this elusive condition should help emergency physicians to improve upon these statistics.

Blood Gas Analysis↗

PubMed1989

A new noninvasive management strategy for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is associated strongly with proximal-vein thrombosis. We tested the hypothesis that recurrent venous thromboembolism is unlikely in the absence of proximal-vein thrombosis. We performed a prospective cohort study in 874 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. On long-term follow-up of 371 patients with the following characteristics: (1) abnormal, non-high-probability lung scans, (2) off anticoagulant therapy, and (3) serial noninvasive test results negative for proximal-vein thrombosis, only 10 (2.7%; 95% confidence limits, 1.3% to 4.9%) had venous thromboembolism. By comparison, venous thromboembolism on follow-up occurred in 3 (1%) of 315 patients (95% confidence limits, 0.2% to 2.8%) with normal lung scans, and in 5 (7%) of 66 patients (95% confidence limits, 2.5% to 16.8%) with high-probability lung scans. Patients whose serial noninvasive test results were negative for proximal-vein thrombosis have a good prognosis without anticoagulant therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Problems in the management of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary angiography remains the definitive technique for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism but in practice is not universally available. Many patients can be managed quite safely without it but it should be employed without hesitation in certain problem patients. Thrombolytic treatment probably improves survival in patients who suffer an acute massive pulmonary embolus but it should not be used unless the embolus causes considerable haemodynamic disturbance. The best thrombolytic agent and the best administration regime remain uncertain. At present the simplest and cheapest effective regime for most patients is provided by a twelve to 24 hour infusion of streptokinase although in the future the new "clot-specific" agents such as rTPA and APSAC may be shown to be safer and/or more effective. In nearly all situations other than acute massive pulmonary embolism thrombolytic treatment is more expensive, slightly more dangerous but no more effective than heparin. When heparin is given there seems little to choose between intermittent injection and continuous infusion. Although there is no scientific proof it is logical to continue heparin for seven days since this is the time taken for any residual clot in the venous system to become firmly adherent to the vessel wall. The value of coagulation tests as a guide to adjustment of heparin dosage is not proved and seems to need reassessment in the light of the recent discovery of large diurnal variations in heparin activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angiography↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is a commonly suspected but underdiagnosed condition of clinical significance. Preventable deaths continue to occur. We begin this article with an overview of prognosis, clinical evidence, signs and symptoms, and risk factors, followed by an in-depth evaluation of diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities. The greatest improvement in mortality from pulmonary embolism is likely to come from improved and aggressive prevention and prophylaxis by the critical care team.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2001

D-dimer testing: the role of the clinical laboratory in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is a common, yet often unsuspected and unrecognised disease associated with a high mortality. New, objective, "user friendly" and cost effective diagnostic strategies are being explored. D-dimers, the fibrinolytic degradation products of crosslinked fibrin, have emerged as the most useful of the procoagulant activity and ongoing fibrinolysis markers. D-dimer measurements are very sensitive in excluding a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in the setting of normal values, a low clinical suspicion, and non-diagnostic lung scans. Several assays have been developed and are reviewed.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed1993

[Consensus diagnosis pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism is a frequent occurrence and requires adequate diagnosis and treatment to avoid unnecessary mortality and complications. However, until recently, the optimal diagnostic management was not determined. This prompted the organisation of a consensus meeting. The advised diagnostic strategy was derived from available data in the literature, a cost-effectiveness analysis, and the discussions which took place at the meeting. The preferred diagnostic strategy consists of a combination of perfusion-ventilation lung scintigraphy, ultrasonography of the legs, and finally pulmonary angiography. Perfusion scintigraphy is performed first. If a normal perfusion is seen further anticoagulant therapy may be withheld. Ventilation scintigraphy is performed if a segmental or larger perfusion defect is found. If a normal ventilation scan is obtained (mismatch) the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is sufficiently certain to warrant institution of long-term anticoagulant therapy. In all other lung scan findings (non-conclusive or non-diagnostic) the meeting advised to perform ultrasonography of the legs. If deep venous thrombosis is detected the patient requires long-term anticoagulant therapy. If a normal ultrasound result is found, pulmonary angiography is required as the final test in the diagnostic strategy.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

PubMed2001

Diagnostic strategies for suspected pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism often remains a difficult diagnosis for the clinician, particularly in patients with comorbidity factors. This is in contrast with the availability of effective treatment, which should be prescribed as soon as possible. To date, there is still no ideal diagnostic test that is accurate, safe, readily available and cost-effective. Recent technical advances in computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory findings have raised new possibilities in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. This review covers the performance of different diagnostic tests, and focuses on the advantages and limitations of single diagnostic tests and the clinical usefulness of these tests in diagnostic strategies.

Comorbidity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical and instrumental diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism shows a high mortality especially for the difficulty in establishing an early correct diagnosis. The pathophysiology and thus the clinical manifestations of pulmonary embolism (PE) are essentially conditioned by three factors: the size of the embolus, the pre-existing cardiorespiratory condition, the release caused by the embolus, of some substances or the activation of reflexes which tend to worsen the purely mechanical consequences of PE. The clinical manifestations resulting from the combination of these factors result in three clinical patterns: acute cor pulmonare, pulmonary infarction, acute dyspnea. PE symptoms may be absent in a moderate percentage of cases and if present, they are nonspecific. Some laboratory tests were shown to be of no diagnostic accuracy, as enzyme determination, a sign of necrosis, blood gas analysis, and determination of alveolar arterial oxygen gradient. Among blood coagulation tests, D-dimer determination was shown to be of some relevance. However, at present, it cannot be used to confirm the diagnostic suspicion of PE. Among the instrumental cardiologic procedures, while ECG has a poor diagnostic reliability, transesophageal echocardiography in central embolism may be able to visualize the embolus and to accurately assess the hemodynamic effects, supplying sufficient information for PE therapy. Even if imaging procedures as pulmonary angiography and more recently CT or MRI are the most reliable diagnostic tools, the diagnostic suspicion of PE in subjects at risk, the use of the examined methods and the search in these patients for the presence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis, often asymptomatic, may increase the number of treated patients thus decreasing the mortality of this disease.

Echocardiography, Transesophageal↗

PubMed2003

The role of Bayesian Networks in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition and, despite advances in diagnostic technology, it remains an elusive diagnosis. The rich variety of possible clinical presentations make it particularly difficult to represent the diagnostic process as a 'decision tree'. However, Bayesian networks offer the opportunity of a compact representation of the domain underlying the decision process: once the network portrays the natural history of the disease, the utility of investigations can be quantitatively evaluated. We developed a network for the diagnosis of PE, including 72 variables to represent both the risk factors and the pathophysiological consequences of the disease. Its structure has been specified by discussing which causal relationships explain the manifestations of the disease. The quantitative measures of associations were retrieved from the medical literature, through a critical review of available studies and agreement on the assumptions made to cope with the lack of published information. Six examples are presented to illustrate the appropriateness of 'entropy reduction' as a measure of the utility of investigation, once the set of examinations to be evaluated is bounded on the grounds of their cost and the patient's current risk. The network, which has been given the acronym 'BayPAD' (Bayesian network for Pulmonary embolism Assisted Diagnosis), appears to be able to detect which observations make others irrelevant, so that decisions can be tailored to single cases.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a challenging diagnostic problem because it mimics other cardiopulmonary disorders. Pulmonary angiography is still the reference standard for diagnosing PE but it is costly, invasive and not readily available. Non-invasive diagnostic strategies have therefore been developed to forego pulmonary angiography in patients suspected of having PE. Ventilation/perfusion lung scanning is, at present, the most widely used non-invasive diagnostic test for PE. A high probability ventilation/perfusion scan (segmental or greater perfusion defects with normal ventilation) warrants the institution of anticoagulant therapy especially when paired with high clinical suspicion of PE. Yet, only a minority of patients with confirmed PE have high probability ventilation/perfusion scans. Ventilation/perfusion abnormalities other than those of the high probability scan should be regarded as non-diagnostic. Under these circumstances, documentation of deep vein thrombosis by non-invasive leg testing warrants anticoagulation without the need for angiography. However, a single negative venous study result does not permit to rule out PE in patients with non-diagnostic ventilation/perfusion scans. Results of a recent prospective study indicate that accurate diagnosis or exclusion of PE is possible with perfusion lung scanning alone (without ventilation imaging). Combining perfusion lung scanning with clinical assessment helps to restrict the need for angiography to a minority of patients with suspected PE.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2004

Utility of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with significant perioperative morbidity and mortality. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) may permit direct visualization of PE or secondary signs of pulmonary artery (PA) obstruction. However, its utility in diagnosing PE in the intraoperative setting has yet to be defined. Therefore, we performed intraoperative TEE examinations in 46 patients immediately before pulmonary embolectomy. TEE examinations were reviewed for signs of thromboemboli within the right, left, and main PA, and secondary signs of acute PA obstruction (right ventricular dysfunction, moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation, leftward bowing of the interatrial septum). The definitive location of thromboemboli was determined from the surgical record. Echocardiographic evidence for the presence of PE was correctly demonstrated in 46% of all patients (n = 21 of 46). However, the sensitivity for direct visualization of thromboemboli at any specific location was only 26%. TEE was least sensitive for thromboemboli in the left PA (17%). TEE evidence of right ventricular dysfunction was observed in 96%, tricuspid regurgitation in 50%, and leftward interatrial septal bowing in 98% of examinations. Therefore, the use of intraoperative TEE to diagnose acute PE via direct visualization is limited. Indirect TEE evidence of PA obstruction may be helpful in supporting a diagnosis of PE.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Erroneous interpretation of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in massive pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (WP) values obtained after catheterization of a pulmonary artery (PA) totally occluded by thrombus may be erroneously interpreted. The left lower lobe PA was catheterized in 13 anesthetized dogs. Measurements of mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) and WP were performed before and after total occlusion of the PA by a clamp located 1 cm from the tip of the catheter. There was a difference between pulmonary artery occluded pressure (PAoP), MPAP, and WP, both in normovolemic and overload conditions (p less than .01). The PAoP was not equivalent either to WP or to MPAP. In massive pulmonary embolism, WP may not reflect left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP).

Animals↗

PubMed1992

[Report of three cases of emergency surgical salvage for acute pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the increasing diseases in Japan, which is aggravated rapidly and early diagnosis is necessary to improve its prognosis. We experienced three cases of successful surgical salvage. It is emphasized that the Doppler ultrasonic echocardiography plays important part in diagnosing PE early and noninvasively. Namely, it shows a appearance of acute cor pulmonale, and is usually able to guess the pulmonary artery pressure by using the simplified formula of Bernoulli's equation. We believe that the surgical pulmonary embolectomy under the cardiopulmonary bypass should be immediately considered in case of unsatisfactory conservative thrombolytic therapy.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1989

Technique of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism infrequently results in severe chronic pulmonary arterial obstruction. However, when it does, affected patients are significantly symptomatic and have shortened survival. Medical management has proven ineffective. In the majority of surgical reports, unilateral thoracotomy with distal pulmonary arteriotomies has been emphasized. The average operative mortality was 22%. In this article, we discuss various preoperative considerations and describe in detail a surgical approach using median sternotomy for bilateral pulmonary thromboendarterectomy with cardiopulmonary bypass, deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. With this standardized approach in 103 consecutive patients from October 1, 1984, to September 20, 1988, the hospital mortality (death within 30 days or during hospitalization) has been 11.7%.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass↗

PubMed2002

[Pulmonary scintigraphy in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary scintigraphy constitutes an important step in the non invasive diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). This technique may be employed for the evaluation of the pulmonary perfusion alone, as in Italy and in the PISA-PED study, or else even for the evaluation of the pulmonary ventilation (as in Anglo-Saxon countries and in the PIOPED study). In the present study, the reasons which have prompted the ANMCO-SIC Commission for the Guidelines for The Prophylaxis, Diagnosis and Therapy of Pulmonary Thromboembolism to propose, for the diagnostic work-up of the patient with clinically suspected PE, the use of perfusion scintigraphy alone and of the classification criteria employed in the PISA-PED study instead of the more commonly utilized ventilatory-perfusion scintigraphy and of the criteria included in the PIOPED article, are discussed. Besides, the Commission's decision to consider PE as being present in case of agreement between the scintigraphic and clinical pictures, and to exclude this condition when the scintigraphic outcome is normal/almost normal regardless of the clinical probabilities, is also motivated.

Humans↗

PubMed1999

[The value of biological and clinical signs of pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is often underdiagnosed, mainly because it is not thought of. Its clinical signs are not highly specific and are encountered in a wide range of pulmonary diseases. Certain symptoms and signs, particularly when combined, are suggestive of PE: unexplained dyspnea, pleuretic pain with or without hemoptysis, tachypnea, etc. but they are not pathognomonic. Routine laboratory investigations such as arterial blood gas analysis, total blood cell count, serum LDH, etc. ... contribute poorly to making the diagnosis. D-dimers are fibrin degradation products. It has now been made possible to rule out PE in almost 20% of suspected cases, when plasma D-dimers levels are lower than 500 ng/ml, using the ELISA technique, with a very high sensitivity rate (98%). On the other hand, their specificity and positive predictive value are low (< 50%) and under no circumstances should their measurement be used to confirm the diagnosis of PE. This test is time-consuming, but new faster techniques seem to be promising.

Diagnosis, Differential↗