Key result
This review explores the options for diagnostic imaging and the evidence for using clinical features, prediction scores, or biomarkers to select pregnant and postpartum women for suspected pulmonary embolism.
Why the study?
When should diagnostic imaging be used to investigate for suspected pulmonary embolism in pregnant and postpartum women?
When should diagnostic imaging be used to investigate for suspected pulmonary embolism in pregnant and postpartum women?
This review explores the evidence for using clinical features, prediction scores, and biomarkers to guide the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging for suspected pulmonary embolism in pregnant and postpartum women.
Evidence for selecting peripartum women for PE imaging remains limited; leaves open need for prospective validation of tools.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of death in pregnancy and postpartum. Clinicians face a difficult choice when deciding whether to use diagnostic imaging to investigate for suspected PE in these patients, between risking potentially catastrophic consequences of missed diagnosis if imaging is withheld and risking unnecessary iatrogenic harm to both mother and fetus if imaging is overused. This paper explores the options for imaging and evidence for the use of clinical features, clinical predictions scores or biomarkers to select pregnant and postpartum women for imaging. It also considers where future research could be most appropriately directed.
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Goodacre et al. (2014) conducted a review in Pulmonary embolism in pregnancy and postpartum. Diagnostic imaging was evaluated. This review explores the options for diagnostic imaging and the evidence for using clinical features, prediction scores, or biomarkers to select pregnant and postpartum women for suspected pulmonary embolism.
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