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Where to treat patients with acute pulmonary embolism?
Author(s) -
Piotr Pruszczyk,
Stavros Konstantinides
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
kardiologia polska
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.527
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1897-4279
pISSN - 0022-9032
DOI - 10.33963/kp.15143
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary embolism , risk stratification , intensive care medicine , adverse effect , hemodynamics , cardiology , emergency medicine
Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the major causes of in‑hospital mortality, and the short‑term prognosis of patients is strongly related to its hemodynamic consequences. Therefore, a stepwise risk‑stratification approach has been proposed, using a combination of clinical data, imaging, and biochemical markers to define the risk of an early adverse outcome. Patients should be managed according to PE severity: some of them require urgent primary reperfusion; for most patients, anticoagulation alone is sufficient; and selected low‑risk patients are potential candidates for early discharge and continuation of treatment on an outpatient basis. We present the current risk‑adapted approach to management strategies in acute PE.