Diagnosis Of Acute Pulmonary Embolism Research Articles

In-hospital outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: A nationwide study.

624 Background: Cancer is a well-established risk factor for the development of pulmonary embolism (PE), especially the. gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. While multiple studies have reported the burden of PE in cancer patients, recent data comparing in-hospital outcomes among different types of cancer patients are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and healthcare utilization outcomes of hospitalized patients with acute PE in the context of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020). International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes were employed to identify hospitalized patients admitted with primary diagnosis acute PE. Data regarding GI cancer diagnosis along with demographic information, baseline clinical characteristics, and outcome variables, including mortality, hospital length of stay, total hospital charges, complications and risk factors were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the survey procedures function in STATA v.17, with statistical significance defined by the t-test at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Among the 181,060 patients admitted with primary diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism, 550 (0.3%) had underlying gastric cancer, 1,790 (0.98%) had pancreatic cancer, 875 (0.48%) had hepatobiliary cancer, and 2,600 (1.61%) had small intestine and colorectal cancer. Mortality was found to be significantly higher in all types of GI cancer, with gastric cancer demonstrating the highest mortality rate (10%). After adjusting for age, sex, race, payment category, comorbidities, and risk factors of PE, gastric cancer (OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1-6.2) and pancreatic cancer (OR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4-3.4) were found as independent risk factors for mortality. There was no significant difference in mean length of hospital stays and mean total hospital charges in patients with or without cancer. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in complications such as requirement for mechanical ventilation, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, need for vasopressor and thrombolysis. Conclusions: In-hospital mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism is significantly higher in all types of GI cancer, however; there is no significant differences in hospital length of stay and total hospital charges in patients with or without cancer.

Trends in the utilization of computed tomography chest for acute pulmonary embolism in the emergency department and the yield in treatment

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is crucial to prevent morbidity and mortality. Overutilizing computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in low-risk patients can lead to unnecessary health-care costs and radiation exposure. Proper pretest probability assessment is recommended to guide the use of CTPA. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of CTPA in the diagnosis of acute PE in the emergency department, with a focus on the application of pretest probability assessment (modified Wells score [MWS] and D-dimer). The primary objectives were to assess the extent of CTPA usage in low-risk patients, determine the effectiveness of D-dimer levels and the MWS in predicting PE, and identify areas for potential improvement in CTPA utilization to reduce unnecessary imaging and enhance patient care. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of anticoagulant treatment in patients diagnosed with acute PE, particularly in cases of segmental/subsegmental PE. Settings and Design: A retrospective analysis was done on all suspected PE patients in the emergency room at our facility who underwent CTPA over 5 years. Patient demographic information, presenting complaints, physical examination findings, laboratory test results, and imaging findings were all included in the data collection. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 758 patient records at a tertiary hospital was conducted over 5 years. Data included demographics, presenting symptoms, test results, and imaging findings. D-dimer levels and the MWS were used for pretest probability evaluation. Anticoagulant treatment and appropriateness were also assessed. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio (R version 4.3.0). Numerical variables were expressed as median (interquartile range), and frequencies and percentages were used to present categorical variables. A Fisher’s exact test was applied to assess the differences between patients who received anticoagulants and those who did not, as well as patients with PE statuses across D-dimer levels, Wells score categories, and receiving anticoagulants. A Kruskal–Wallis test explored the time to read reports between PE categories. P <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: Among 758 patients, 18.8% had acute PE, with 6.2% being segmental/subsegmental PE. The majority of cases (79.8%) were negative for PE. A high rate of CTPA utilization was observed, especially in low-risk patients. Sixty-eight percent of low-risk patients had negative PE results. Among patients with acute PE, lobar PE (36.4%) and segmental/subsegmental PE (32.9%) were the most common locations. D-dimer and MWS were underutilized. Conclusions: By identifying low-risk patients who might not need CTPA, compliance with pretest probability evaluation using the MWS and D-dimer levels can help minimize unnecessary imaging and its associated risks. The results showed that efforts should be made to adhere to guidelines and recommendations, especially if the patients were categorized as low risk based on MWS or normal D-dimer levels. This will eventually improve patient outcomes and lower health-care costs.

Sex differences in the prognostic value of computed tomography pulmonary angiography parameters for intrahospital acute pulmonary embolism-related death

Background/Aim. Multidetector computed tomography pulmonary angiography (MCTPA) has emerged as the most suitable method for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism (APE) in hemodynamically stable patients. In addition to its diagnostic role, MCTPA facil itates the measurement and calculation of certain parameters that can be used as prognostic markers for outcomes in APE. Since the introduction of the method, there have been a lot of studies that pointed out there may be a significant difference in the prognostic value of MCTPA for APE concerning sex. Methods. The study population consisted of consecutive patients with a diagnosis of APE confirmed by MCTPA. Positive MCTPA findings and a diagnosis of APE were established if the patient had at least one segmental artery thrombus. APE severity was estimated using the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI). Allcause and APE-related intrahospital (Ih) deaths were the coprimary outcomes of this study. Results. In total, 1,612 patients were enrolled in the study (750 men and 862 women). Women with a centrally positioned pulmonary thrombus detected on MCTPA were more likely to die from PE-related death than those without one (10.4% vs. 4.2%, respectively; p = 0.016). Women with a right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) diameter ratio (RV/LV) > 1 died almost twice as often as those with a ratio ? 1 (15.5% vs. 8.6%, respectively; p = 0.017). Women with an RV/LV > 1 detected with MCTPA were significantly more likely to die from PE than those with a ratio ? 1 (11% vs. 5.2%, respectively; p = 0.017). Women who died from PE-related causes had a significantly higher value of the embolic burden score system (EBSS) than did the surviving women (18.00 vs. 11.00, respectively; p = 0.025). Independently of age, sPESI, and renal function, the presence of a central thrombus [odds ratio (OR) 2.278, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.050-4.944, p = 0.037] and the RV/LV ratio > 1 (OR 2.015, 95% CI: 1.042-3.893, p = 0.037) were associated with Ih PE-related death in women. Conclusion. In women, MCTPA parameters, a centrally placed thrombus, the RV/LV ratio, and the EBSS had prognostic significance for PE-related mortality. The RV/LV ratio had prognostic significance for all-cause Ih mortality. In men, the MCTPA parameters had no prognostic significance for both overall and PE-related mortality.

Outcomes of Septuagenarians and Octogenarians with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance Admitted for Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Introduction: Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is clinically defined with a serum monoclonal immunoglobulin of less than 3 g/dL and the presence of less than 10% of plasma cells in the bone marrow, in the absence of any end-organ damage that is typically seen in patients with multiple myeloma. The incidence of MGUS mostly involves the elderly, with a median age estimated at 70 years. While some studies have linked MGUS with a hypercoagulable state, there are no large studies investigating the impact and outcomes of MGUS in the elderly with pulmonary embolism(PE). We thus propose a national analysis to investigate. Methods: Our retrospective study via the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) focused on adults admitted with a primary diagnosis of Acute Pulmonary Embolism. We excluded all cases of ages <70 years and >90 years. Patient characteristics in acute PE cases with and without MGUS such as age, sex, race, and presence of various comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, among many, were explored via Chi-Square tests, t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests as appropriate. Differences in outcomes for PE in MGUS and non-MGUS patients were estimated via logistic regression models on SPSS 29.0. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. To comply with the database provider's (HCUP) guidelines, we did not report values <11. Results: Among the 327090 septuagenarians and octogenarians admitted primarily for acute PE in our study, there were 1095 (0.3%) patients with a diagnosis for MGUS that also reported a higher mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score (4.26 vs. 2.90, p<0.01) (Table 1). While 51.1% of MGUS cases with acute PE were males, the non-MGUS group mainly consisted of females (56.1%, p<0.01). Medicare covered 91.3% and 90.8% of all MGUS and non-MGUS cases in our study, and 68.9% and 66.3% of all admissions involved Urban-teaching centers, respectively. Around 11.0% of MGUS cases also had a history of prior pulmonary embolism, while it was 8.0% in the non-MGUS cohort (p<0.01). The MGUS cohort also showed a lower prevalence of hypertension (41.1% vs.46.7%, p<0.01) while having a higher prevalence of peripheral vascular disease (11.4% vs. 5.1%, p<0.01), smoking status (40.6% vs. 37.8%, p=0.049), lipid disorders (56.6% vs. 50.6%, p<0.01), and chronic kidney disease (35.6% vs. 20.0%, p<0.01) than the non-MGUS group. MGUS patients showed lower odds of experiencing in-patient events such as myocardial infarction (aOR 0.345, 95% CI 0.221-0.538, p<0.01), acute kidney injury (aOR 0.843, 95% CI 0.719-0.990, p=0.037), and respiratory compromise (aOR 0.749, 95% CI 0.652-0.860, p<0.01). While a higher odds of cardiogenic shock (aOR 1.903, 95% CI 1.316-2.753, p<0.01) was also noted, patients with and without MGUS had no differences related to in-hospital mortality (aOR0.721, 95% CI 0.513-1.013, p=0.060) or the need for IVC filters (aOR 1.156, 95% CI 0.924-1.446, p=0.206). MGUS patients also experienced a longer stay (mean length of stay 4.91 vs. 4.62 days, p<0.01). Conclusion: This nationwide data analysis suggests a higher prevalence of a history of previous PE in MGUS cases admitted for PE than those without MGUS. Furthermore, while odds of events involving in-patient myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, or respiratory compromise in MGUS patients were lower, they had a higher risk of cardiogenic shock. It is thus vital for physicians to be on the watch-out of such complications and provide adequate testing and care in a timely manner to improve their prognosis and outcomes.

Utility of TAPSE/sPAP Ratio in Acute Pulmonary Embolism as Valuable Prognostic Marker as PESI Score

Introduction: The pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) score is used to determine the risk of mortality and severity of complications in acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) ratio has been recently shown to predict poor 30-day clinical outcome in APE. We aimed to analyze the prognostic value of the TAPSE/sPAP ratio for prediction of 30-day adverse clinical outcomes in APE patients, similar to PESI score. Patients and Methods: This study enrolled 203 retrospectively evaluated patients (female 108, mean age= 57.4 ± 15.5 years) with the diagnosis of APE between 2010 and 2020. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography before specific APE treatment. Primary endpoints were 30-day mortality, thrombolytic therapy requirement, mechanical ventilation requirement, mental status deterioration, and persistent hypotension (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg). The study population was divided into two groups according to the TAPSE/sPAP ratio= 114 patients in group 1 with a low TAPSE/sPAP ratio (<0.494) and 89 patients in group 2 with a high TAPSE/sPAP ratio (>0.494). Results: The incidence of in-hospital mortality (4.4 vs. 0%, p= 0.045], 30-day mortality [n= 8 (7.0%); 0 (0%), p= 0.009] and primary adverse outcomes (35.1 vs. 0%, p< 0.001) were higher in group 1. The TAPSE/sPAP ratio was negatively correlated with PESI (r= -0.716, p< 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the TAPSE/sPAP ratio [OR= 0.001, 95C% CI= 0.000-0.476, p= 0.028] was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in APE. Conclusion: The present study showed that the TAPSE/sPAP ratio may be used in clinical practice for the prediction of short-term adverse outcome risk estimation in APE patients, similar to PESI score.

Right ventricular global work efficiency provides the highest prediction for improvements in right ventricle to left ventricle diameter ratio with acute pulmonary embolism treatments

Abstract Introduction In addition to standard echocardiographic measures, global longitudinal strain (GLS) with speckle tracking (ST) and myocardial work (MW) evaluation have been used in the assessment of right ventricle (RV) function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). In this study we aimed to compare echocardiographic measures, ST and MW in prediction of change in right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle (LV) diameter ratio (r) with treatments. Methods Our study comprised 83 consecutive patients (female %54.6, age 59±14.9 years) who admitted to our hospital with diagnosis of acute PE and underwent evidence-based treatments. Echocardiographic evaluation including ST and MW were performed within first 24 hours of admission. NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin, pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) and Qanadli score, RV and LV global work index (GWI), global work efficiency (GWE), global constructive work (GCW) and global wasted work (GWW), and RV-GLS were evaluated. Primary end-point (PEP) of this study was the change in RV to LVr on computed tomography (CT), and generalized additive model (GAM) in addition to classical linear regression (LR) were utilized for prediction of change in RV/LVr with these measures. Results PESI score and RV/LVr at admission were 84.8±23.8 and 1.13±0.39, respectively. Unfractioned or low-molecular weight heparin were treatments of choice in patients. The change in RV/LVr after selected treatments were 0.356. Mean hospital stay and overall follow-up duration were 8.7±3.7 and 328.7±126.8 days, respectively. In-hospital and long-term mortality rates were 1.2% and 13.3% respectively. Correlation co-efficients for intra- and interobserver agreement of MW measures varied from 0.85 to 0.96. The LR revealed that pulmonary arterial systolic, diastolic and mean pressure estimates, fractional area change and RV annular tissue velocity were significantly related with changes in RV/LVr (p values; 0.02, 0.01, 0.004, 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). Moreover, RV-GWE compared with RV-GLS showed a higher prediction for improvements in the RV/LVr (p value were <0.001 and 0.049, respectively). Utilization of GAM increased R2 value (from 0.15 to 0.20), and decreased the complexity of model. RV-GWE showed a moderate correlation with RV-GLS (r=-0.56), RV-GWI (r = 0.42), RV-GCW (r=0.32), LV-GWW(r=-0.55), LV-GLS (r=-0.33), FAC (r=0.26), NT-proBNP (r=-0.38), troponin (r=-0.28) but not with other measures. Conclusions The RV GWE as a novel myocardial work parameter seems to provide a better prediction for improvements in the RV/LVr with acute PE treatments as compared to clinical, laboratory and other echocardiographic measures including GLS.Figure-1Figure-2

Abstract 14891: Time to Therapeutic Range for Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy

Introduction: Anticoagulation therapy is the mainstay for the management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and achieving a timely time to therapeutic range (TTR) is important. We sought to determine the TTR in patients with acute PE referred for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and the proportion of patients with therapeutic activated clotting time (ACT) at the time of MT. Methods: This single center retrospective study included all patients who underwent percutaneous MT at a large academic public hospital from January 2020 through April 2023. Therapeutic anticoagulation was defined as an ACT >200 seconds or if the patient received enoxaparin within 6 hours prior to MT. Results: A total of 63 patients (average age 58 years, 43% female) with intermediate or high-risk PE were included in the analysis. The median time from the diagnosis of PE or clot-in-transit (CIT) to MT was 15 (IQR 6.1-23.2) hours. Fifteen patients (23.8%) were initiated on enoxaparin at the diagnosis of acute PE or CIT. Among these patients, 5 (7.9%) were on enoxaparin only and 10 (15.9%) patients were initiated on enoxaparin and then transitioned to a heparin infusion prior to MT. One patient was initiated on argatroban, while the remaining 47 patients were initiated on a heparin infusion at time of diagnosis (77.6% received heparin bolus). In patients who received a heparin infusion, the median ACT in the cath lab was 134 (IQR 118-159) seconds. Only a total of 9/63 (14.3%) were therapeutic by ACT at the time of MT or received therapeutic enoxaparin within 6 hours of MT. Excluding patients who received enoxaparin initially, 34/48 (70.8%) patients reached a therapeutic anti-Xa or partial thromboplastin time (PTT) levels. The median time to reach a therapeutic anti-Xa or aPTT was 5.6 (IQR 3.3-8.2) hours (Figure). Conclusion: In patients with acute PE referred for MT, only a minority of patients had therapeutic ACT prior to mechanical thrombectomy.

Abstract 14494: National Trends in Emergency Department Discharges for Acute Pulmonary Embolism, 2006-2015

Introduction: Outpatient management for selected low-risk patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has emerged as a safe and feasible approach that is currently supported by clinical practice guidelines. However, recent evidence suggests that many patients are still managed with hospital admission. Few studies have assessed recent real-world, national trends in discharge rates for acute PE from the emergency department (ED). Methods: We conducted an observational study leveraging data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) between the years 2006-2020. NHAMCS is a nationally representative probability sample which reflects ED visits within the US. All patients with a primary diagnosis of acute PE were included. Subgroup analysis was performed on patients who were hemodynamically stable (heart rate<110 and systolic blood pressure>100) and those with a PESI risk class I or II. Results: Between 2006-2020, there were an estimated 2,519,606 ED visits for acute PE. Among the whole cohort, the mean age was 58.2 (SE: 1.53) and 59.1% were female. Overall, 22.1% of patients with acute PE were discharged from the ED, which increased from 7.8% between 2006-2008 to 32.1% between 2018-2020. A total of 67.9% of patients were hospitalized, which decreased from 83.7% between 2006-2008 to 61.9% between 2018-2020. When stratified by hemodynamic stability or low PESI risk class, similar trends were observed (Figure). Since 2012, 33.0% of patients with PESI class I or II were discharged and 57.8% were hospitalized. Conclusion: In a representative nationwide sample, rates of discharge from the ED for acute PE have increased over the past fifteen years with the largest increase occurring between 2009-2014. However, since 2012, only one-third of low-risk patients presenting to the ED were discharged for outpatient management and rates appear to have stabilized. We speculate that outpatient management for low-risk acute PE is still underutilized in the US.

Validation of the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index Risk Classification and the 2019 European Society of Cardiology Risk Stratification in the Southeast Asian Population with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

To date, no studies representing the Southeast Asian population have validated the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) and 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) risk stratification. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the PESI score, simplified PESI (sPESI), PESI risk classification, and 2019 ESC risk stratification in Southeast Asian patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). The present study is a 10-year cross-sectional study. Here, risk regressions were conducted to identify the PESI risk classification, sPESI, and 2019 ESC risk stratification as predictors for 30-day all-cause and PE-related mortalities. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine the diagnostic ability of the PESI score, sPESI score, PESI risk classification, and 2019 ESC risk stratification to predict 30-day mortality. A total of 696 patients (male, 286; female, 410; mean age, 57.7±15.7 years) were included in this study from 2011 to 2020. The risk of 30-day all-cause mortality progressively increased with the 2019 ESC risk stratification, being approximately 6-fold higher in the high-risk than in the low-risk class [risk ratio: 6.24 (95% confidence interval (CI), 3.12, 12.47), P＜0.001]. The risk of 30-day all-cause mortality with the PESI risk classification also increased with the risk classes, being approximately 6-fold higher in class V than in class I [adjusted risk ratio: 5.91 (95% CI, 2.25, 15.51), P＜0.001]. The highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AuROC) of the predictive model was the PESI score [AuROC=0.733 (95% CI, 0.685, 0.782)]. Our study represents a good validation of the PESI and 2019 ESC risk stratification to predict 30-day mortality after APE diagnosis in the Southeast Asian population.

The level of C-reactive protein in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Background. Modern risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) does not consider all possible factors that may influence the course and prognosis of the disease. In view of this, it is promising to study inflammatory markers, especially C-reactive protein (CRP), for their prognostic value in PE. The purpose was to study the clinical and prognostic value of increased CRP levels in patients with PE during hospitalization. Material and methods. One hundred and three patients with diagnosis of acute PE confirmed by computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) or by autopsy were examined, their СRP level was evaluated during hospitalization. In addition to a general clinical examination, all patients were screened for PE risk factors and risk of premature death according to the ESC 2019 guidelines. La-boratory tests included quantitative determination of CPK-MB, D-dimer and СRP in addition to basic ones. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, and CTPA were performed as part of the instrumental studies. Results. Depending on the СRP median (26 mg/l), patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (СRP < 26 mg/l) included 52 people, group 2 (СRP > 26 mg/l) — 51 patients. It was found that in group 1, patients with low risk predominated (p = 0.044) and the average pulmonary embolism severity index was significantly lower (p = 0.011). In group 2, the average blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) during hospitalization was significantly lower (p = 0.004), the average parameters of the left ventricle, namely end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, were significantly greater (p = 0.045 and p = 0.043, respectively), and the ejection fraction was significantly lower (p = 0.002). Also, the average levels of leukocytes (p = 0.0003), neutrophils (p = 0.00001), urea (p = 0.008), CPK-MB (p = 0.028) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.012) were significantly higher in group 2. Correlation analysis revealed a reliable inverse connection between CRP levels and initial SpO2 and a direct relationship between CRP level and the size of the right atrium, CPK-MB level, and increased risk of early mortality from PE. Conclusions. Elevated CRP was found in 92 % of patients with acute PE and was associated with a significant decrease in SpO2 (p < 0.004), increased left ventricular size (p < 0.05), and decreased ejection fraction (p < 0.003). Correlation analysis revealed a relationship between CRP level and the risk according to the pulmonary embolism severity index, SpO2, the level of CPK-MB and the size of the left atrium.

A machine learning model for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism and comparison with Wells score, revised Geneva score, and Years algorithm.

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a fatal cardiovascular disease, yet missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis often occur due to non-specific symptoms and signs. A simple, objective technique will help clinicians make a quick and precise diagnosis. In population studies, machine learning (ML) plays a critical role in characterizing cardiovascular risks, predicting outcomes, and identifying biomarkers. This work sought to develop an ML model for helping APE diagnosis and compare it against current clinical probability assessment models. This is a single-center retrospective study. Patients with suspected APE were continuously enrolled and randomly divided into two groups including training and testing sets. A total of 8 ML models, including random forest (RF), Naïve Bayes, decision tree, K-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, multi-layer perceptron, support vector machine, and gradient boosting decision tree were developed based on the training set to diagnose APE. Thereafter, the model with the best diagnostic performance was selected and evaluated against the current clinical assessment strategies, including the Wells score, revised Geneva score, and Years algorithm. Eventually, the ML model was internally validated to assess the diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The ML models were constructed using eight clinical features, including D-dimer, cardiac troponin T (cTNT), arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, chest pain, lower limb pain, hemoptysis, and chronic heart failure. Among eight ML models, the RF model achieved the best performance with the highest area under the curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.774). Compared to the current clinical assessment strategies, the RF model outperformed the Wells score ( P = 0.030) and was not inferior to any other clinical probability assessment strategy. The AUC of the RF model for diagnosing APE onset in internal validation set was 0.726. Based on RF algorithm, a novel prediction model was finally constructed for APE diagnosis. When compared to the current clinical assessment strategies, the RF model achieved better diagnostic efficacy and accuracy. Therefore, the ML algorithm can be a useful tool in assisting with the diagnosis of APE.

Predictors of cancer in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

BackgroundAcute pulmonary embolism (PE) can occur as a manifestation of an underlying cancer and be of paraneoplastic aetiology. A previously unknown cancer is sometimes diagnosed after the acute PE diagnosis. The identification of a group of patients with elevated probability of having an occult cancer underlying PE was never performed. We aimed to determine predictors of occult cancer in acute PE. Our hypothesis was that the D-dimer levels would be a predictor of cancer. Patients and methodsWe retrospectively analysed a cohort of patients hospitalized with acute PE. Exclusion criteria: <18 years, venous embolism only of veins other than pulmonary territory or when the embolism was considered chronic, and no image confirmation of acute PE. Patients were grouped according to the timing of cancer diagnosis: 1) known concomitant active cancer, 2) cancer diagnosed during acute PE admission or in the following 2 years and, 3) no known cancer during the 2-year follow-up since PE diagnosis. Predictors of concomitant cancer were determined using a logistic regression analysis. Multivariate models were built. ResultsWe studied 562 patients; median age was 72 years and 219 (39.0 %) were men. In 223 (39.7 %) of the patients the PE was of central arteries and 61.4 % presented with bilateral PE. PE was considered unprovoked at time of discharge in 47.7 %. Median (interquartile range) D-dimer level was 7.98 (3.30–14.99) μg/mL. A total of 126 (22.4 %) patients were in group 1, 47 in group 2 (cancer diagnosed after the diagnosis of acute PE and up to 2 years) and 389 patients were in group 3. Elevated D-dimer levels were independently associated with already known cancer. D-dimer were independent predictors of future cancer diagnosis: OR = 1.07 ((95 % CI: 1.01–1.14) per each 5 ng/mL increase; for patients with D-dimer >15.0 μg/mL the OR of future cancer was 2.10 (1.05–4.18). If only patients with unprovoked PE upon admission (n = 307) were to be considered results were similar considering D-dimer; anaemia also predicted unknown cancer [OR = 2.13 (1.08–4.16)]. ConclusionsPatients with D-dimer >15 μg/mL presented a >2-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with a cancer condition in the upcoming 2 years. D-dimer may help clinicians in identifying which patients are at higher risk of occult cancer.

Role of MRI in diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

BackgroundPulmonary embolism (PE) is considered a serious condition and has clinical challenges in diagnosis. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is considered the gold standard in PE diagnosis. Contrast-enhanced MRA also has a strong useful role in the diagnosis. Our study aims to assess the role of non-contrast MRA in diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism compared to either CT pulmonary angiography or contrast enhanced MRA.ResultsIn total, 50 patients with PE confirmed by either CTPA or CE-MRA were included in this study. All patients underwent non-contrast MRPA during the three consecutive days after CTPA or at the same examination setting in CE-MRA. The results were compared and statistically analyzed.The mean age of our study group was 47.80 ± 14.01 years. Males represented 56% (28/50) and females 44% (22/50). The per-vessel sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of non-contrast MRPA reached about 100% for each parameter at the level of the pulmonary trunk, main pulmonary and lobar arteries. At the segmental level, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy reached about 88%, 100%, and 94%, while at the subsegmental level, about 35%, 100%, and 66% respectively. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of non-contrast MRPA regardless of the site were 84%, 100%, and 90% respectively.ConclusionsNon-contrast pulmonary MRA has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of PE, especially in proximal pulmonary arteries. So, it can be used as an alternative to the CTA and CE-MRA, especially when the CTA and the use of gadolinium are contraindicated.

Predictive value of reduced pulmonary arterial elasticity in acute pulmonary embolism for right ventricular dysfunction.

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) yields indices, such as the right ventricular/left ventricular (RV/LV) ratio > 1.0, which are commonly used for risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Although pulmonary artery elasticity (PAE) has been previously described, its relationship with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) has not been explored. Here, we investigated whether PAE, measured using CTPA, is associated with RVD. Patients who underwent retrospective electrocardiogram-gated CTPA and had a definitive diagnosis of APE were included in the study. The subjects were classified into RVD and non-RVD groups according to the RVD on echocardiography. PAE, involving aortic distensibility (AD), aortic compliance (AC), and aortic stiffness (ASI), and right heart function indices were compared between the two groups, and their correlations were examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the RVD prediction. Thirty-five patients with APE were enrolled in the study (RVD: 18, non-RVD: 17). The groups showed no significant differences in age, sex, number of patients receiving thrombolysis, and number of high-risk conditions (P > 0.05). Regarding PAE parameters, AD was significantly reduced in the RVD group compared to that in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05), whereas AC and ASI were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The ratio of the maximum cross-sectional area of PA and AA (PA/AAmax),the ratio of the minimum cross-sectional area of PA and AA(PA/AAmin), diameter of the coronary sinus, RV/LV diameter, RV/Lvarea, the ratio of the end-diastolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVDV), the ratio of the end-systolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVSV) were significantly greater in the RVD group than in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of AD and right heart function parameters showed that AD was negatively correlated with PA/AAmax, PA/AAmin, RV/LV diameter, RV/LVDV, and PAE measured by ultrasound, with correlation coefficients ranging from - 0.336 to - 0.580 (P < 0.05). The ROC curves of AD and RV/LVdiameter to predict RVD had areas under the curve of 0.748 and 0.712, sensitivities of 82.35% and 70.59%, specificities of 66.67% and 72.22%, and cutoff values of 4.9433 and 1.1105, respectively. AD obtained by retrospective ECG-gated CTPA may be helpful in assessing RVD in patients with APE while accurately diagnosing APE. It contributes to timely diagnosis and treatment and improves the prognosis of patients with APE.

Optimal length of oral anticoagulant treatment for maximum benefit within 5 years after discontinuation of oral anticoagulants in patients with acute pulmonary embolism who require secondary thromboprophylaxis

BackgroundExtended oral anticoagulant (OA) use is recommended in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) who require secondary thromboprophylaxis. Nevertheless, the optimal length of OA use for the maximum long-term benefit...

Clinical presentations of acute pulmonary embolism: A retrospective cohort study.

We aimed to investigate whether the unusual clinical presentation of pulmonary embolism (PE) varies by the type of provocation. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the electronic health records (EHR) records of all patients diagnosed with PE (upon presentation or during hospitalization) presented to our tertiary hospital during 2014 to 2019. Inclusion criteria were the diagnosis of acute PE and age above 18 years. Excluded were all patients to whom complete EHR were not available. The primary outcome was the main presenting symptom, categorized by a multidisciplinary consensus expert committee as either typical or atypical of PE. Comorbidities, vital signs, medications and laboratory results on presentations were recorded. 591 patients were included in the final analysis. Dyspnea was significantly less common and hemoptysis and chest pain more common in the unprovoked PE group (35%, 5%, and 25%, respectively) compared with nonmalignant (42.6%, 0%, and 16.3%) and malignancy-associated (47.7%, 0.9%, and 8.2%) PE (Pv = 0.02, 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). No recorded symptoms were the third most common presentation overall, accounting for a significantly (Pv < 0.001) higher proportion of PE patients with malignancy (19%) whereas atypical presentation was the hallmark of patients with nonmalignant provokation (19.7%) (Pv = 0.005). Accounting for multiple potential confounders, the risk of atypical or asymptomatic presentation was higher with lower heart rates (RR = 0.974 95%C.I. [0.957-0.990]) and higher pulse oximetry saturation (RR = 1.114 95%CI [1.034-1.201]). The clinical presentation of PE varies with different types of provoking factors, with atypical presentation most common in nonmalignant provocation and asymptomatic presentation most prevalent in patients with underlying malignancy. Further studies are needed to determine the effect of said variance on long term clinical outcomes.

Early diagnosis for pulmonary embolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The incidence of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) (especially early diagnosis) has increased annually in recent years, but the diagnosis of APE is a great challenge for every clinician. However, few studies have evaluated multiple diagnostic indicators simultaneously. A systematic search was performed using CNKI, Wan fang data, VIP, PubMed and Web of Science for studies on the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism published up to October 31, 2022. Using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2), we evaluated the risk of bias in included studies, and used a random-effects meta-analysis to obtain the summary sensitivity and specificity. The data that were extracted and calculated for this study included the first author, year of publication, country, study type, sample size, disease type, gold standard, diagnostic indicators and 4-compartment table data. We strictly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematics reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines in this review. This study included 30 articles with a total sample size of 8947 cases, involving 4 detection methods: D-dimer, Geneva rules, Wells rules, and lung imaging. The combined effect size showed that lung imaging had the highest diagnostic value (SEN = 0.95, SPE = 0.89), followed by D-dimer (SEN = 0.92, SPE = 0.60), Geneva rules (SEN = 0.78, SPE = 0.68), and Wells rules (SEN = 0.77, SPE = 0.67). The area of lung imaging was largest under the Summary Receiver Operator Characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC = 0.97), followed by Geneva rules (AUC = 0.80), Wells rules (AUC = 0.79), and D-dimer (AUC = 0.74). All 4 detection methods showed good ability to diagnose PE, and lung imaging was the best. Clinical trials are recommended to build an early decision-making model for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in order to increase the detection rate and improve prognosis.

Echocardiographic parameters analysis in acute pulmonary embolism: what is the prognostic value in the real-world setting?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Transthoracic echocardiogram performed after the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism is used for risk stratification. The individual prognostic value of the echocardiographic parameters and its association with the clinical data is still being studied. Objective To determine the impact of echocardiographic parameters (TAPSE, PSAP e TAPSE/PSAP), as well as its association with the clinical evaluation in the patient’s prognosis. Methods Single centre retrospective study, evaluating 131 patients admitted by acute pulmonary embolism between January 2017 and December 2020. Mean age was 67.6 ± 15.3 years, 38 patients were male (29.0%). The patients were stratified according to the European Cardiology Association (ESC) early mortality risk classification in high or intermediate-high risk (group A) and low or intermediate low risk (group B). The correlation with echocardiographic parameters was evaluated. In-hospital mortality at 30 days and 1 year was determined. Results Group A included 27 patients (20.6%) and group B 104 patients (79.4%), with no difference regarding demographic and clinic characteristics between both groups. In group A the mean PSAP was 49.4 ± 22.8 mmHg, TAPSE 14.7 ± 5.2 mm and TAPSE/PSAP 0.3. In group B the mean PSAP was 34.6 ± 16.8 mmHg, TAPSE 20.9 ± 4.5 mm and TAPSE/PSAP 0.7. The ROC analysis shows PSAP has good discriminative power for risk stratification (AUC 0.716; p = 0.017 95% CI 0.56 – 0.87), with a cut-off point at 35 mmHg. The TAPSE/PSAP ratio has an excellent discriminative power (AUC 0.873, p value 0.001, CI 95% 0.767 – 0.978), with a cut-off point of 0.3. In-hospital mortality was 8.4% (11 patients), 30-day mortality was 12.2% (16 patients) and 1-year mortality was 19.8% (26 patients). There was no difference regarding mortality between groups A and B. Comparing PSAP and TAPSE/PSAP ≤ 0.3, only the latter was correlated with mortality at 1 year (p = 0.021). The addition of TAPSE/PSAP ≤ 0.3 to ESC classification for each group had a significant impact on mortality at 1 year (p = 0.004). Conclusion The addition of TAPSE/PSAP ≤ 0.3 to risk scores in groups A and B confers relevant prognostic information on long-term mortality. When available, the addition of echocardiographic parameters to the clinical data could add relevant prognostic value.

Photon-counting CT for diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism: potential for contrast medium and radiation dose reduction

ObjectiveTo evaluate the image quality of an ultra-low contrast medium and radiation dose CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) protocol for the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism using a clinical photon-counting detector (PCD) CT system and compare its performance to a dual-energy-(DE)-CTPA protocol on a conventional energy-integrating detector (EID) CT system.MethodsSixty-four patients either underwent CTPA with the novel scan protocol on the PCD-CT scanner (32 patients, 25 mL, CTDIvol 2.5 mGy·cm) or conventional DE-CTPA on a third-generation dual-source EID-CT (32 patients, 50 mL, CTDIvol 5.1 mGy·cm). Pulmonary artery CT attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise-ratio were assessed as objective criteria of image quality, while subjective ratings of four radiologists were compared at 60 keV using virtual monoenergetic imaging and polychromatic standard reconstructions. Interrater reliability was determined by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Effective dose was compared between patient cohorts.ResultsSubjective image quality was deemed superior by all four reviewers for 60-keV PCD scans (excellent or good ratings in 93.8% of PCD vs. 84.4% of 60 keV EID scans, ICC = 0.72). No examinations on either system were considered “non-diagnostic.” Objective image quality parameters were significantly higher in the EID group (mostly p < 0.001), both in the polychromatic reconstructions and at 60 keV. The ED (1.4 vs. 3.3 mSv) was significantly lower in the PCD cohort (p < 0.001).ConclusionsPCD-CTPA allows for considerable reduction of contrast medium and radiation dose in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism, while maintaining good to excellent image quality compared to conventional EID-CTPA.Clinical relevance statementClinical PCD-CT allows for spectral assessment of pulmonary vasculature with high scan speed, which is beneficial in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, frequently presenting with dyspnea. Simultaneously PCD-CT enables substantial reduction of contrast medium and radiation dose.Key Points• The clinical photon-counting detector CT scanner used in this study allows for high-pitch multi-energy acquisitions.• Photon-counting computed tomography allows for considerable reduction of contrast medium and radiation dose in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism.• Subjective image quality was rated best for 60-keV photon-counting scans.

Sensitivity and specificity of chest ultrasound in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in the emergency department: A case-control study.

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of chest ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and determine its accuracy using multi-detector CT-pulmonary angiography (MD-CTPA) as a gold standard technique for PE diagnosis. A prospective case-control study was performed with 75 patients who presented to the emergency department of Minia Cardiothoracic University Hospital with clinical suspicion of PE. All patients were evaluated clinically and by laboratory tests to assess the risk of PE. Thoracic ultrasound (TUS) was then performed for all patients for signs suggestive of PE. Finally, MD-CTPA was performed to confirm or exclude the presence of PE. Patients were subdivided into two groups according to the result of MD-CTPA; group I (patients with PE) and group II (control group without PE). In our study, PE was present in the lower lobe in 75% of cases, then in the middle in 13% and in the upper lobe in 3.8% of cases. The majority of lesions in TUS were wedge-shaped lesions. No vascular flow was detected in 83% of PE-confirmed patients. The current study revealed that TUS has 81.25% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 98.3% positive predictive value, 77.2% negative predictive value and 87% accuracy in the diagnosis of PE. Univariate regression analysis revealed that the presence of wedge-shaped pleural-based lesions in grayscale US and the absence of flow signals by colour Doppler sonography (CDS) increase the possibility of PE. Wedge-shaped pleural-based lesions increase the possibility of PE by 1.48 times (P=0.0001), and the absence of flow signals by CDS increases the possibility of PE by 92.89 times (P=0.00001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that adding absent flow signals by CDS to wedge-shaped pleural-based lesions by grayscale US increases the possibility of a PE diagnosis by 50.28 times (P=0.001). Chest ultrasound is a simple, safe, noninvasive, inexpensive, bedside diagnostic radiological technique that can be used in the emergency department for suspected PE or as an alternative to MD-CTPA when CTPA is contraindicated. Wedge-shaped lesions and the absence of flow signals by CDS increase the diagnostic value of ultrasound for PE.