Current strategies for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

The diagnosis of symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism (PE) should be considered in any patient presenting with new-onset dyspnea, worsening of usual dyspnea, chest pain, syncope, or hypotension without an alternative explanation, particularly when basic complementary tests (chest X-ray, electrocardi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Remedios Otero-Candelera, Teresa Elías-Hernández, Luis Jara-Palomares
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Publicaciones Permanyer 2024-07-01
Series:Barcelona Respiratory Network Reviews
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Online Access:https://www.brnreviews.com/frame_eng.php?id=255
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Summary:The diagnosis of symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism (PE) should be considered in any patient presenting with new-onset dyspnea, worsening of usual dyspnea, chest pain, syncope, or hypotension without an alternative explanation, particularly when basic complementary tests (chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and arterial blood gas analysis) rule out other differential diagnoses. PE, therefore, represents a condition with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, with varying prognosis and treatment. This generally renders the diagnostic management of patients with suspected PE complex, which could be detrimental to patient survival given its potential lethality. This review addresses how to assess the clinical probability of PE, the diagnostic value of basic readily accessible tests, diagnostic tests, and their integration into validated algorithms, as well as the most current diagnostic strategies validated in PE.
ISSN:2462-3172