Current risk stratification tools for acute pulmonary embolism, including clinical scores, echocardiography, computed tomography, and biomarkers, are reviewed to guide customized treatment.
How do clinical scores, imaging, and biomarkers contribute to the prognostic stratification and customized treatment of acute pulmonary embolism?
This review highlights the critical role of multimodality risk stratification—using clinical, imaging, and biomarker data—to guide customized, risk-adapted management in acute pulmonary embolism.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) represents a common disease in emergency medicine and guidelines for diagnosis and treatment have had wide diffusion. However, PE morbidity and mortality remain high, especially when associated to hemodynamic instability or right ventricular dysfunction. Prognostic stratification to identify high risk patients needing to receive more aggressive pharmacological and closer monitoring is of utmost importance. Modern guidelines for management of acute PE are based on risk stratification using either clinical, radiological, or laboratory findings. This article reviews the modern treatment of acute PE, which is customized upon patient prognosis. Accordingly the current risk stratification tools described in the literature such as clinical scores, echocardiography, helical computer tomography, and biomarkers will be reviewed.
Luca Masotti (2009) conducted a review in Acute pulmonary embolism. Risk stratification tools (clinical scores, echocardiography, CT, biomarkers) was evaluated. Current risk stratification tools for acute pulmonary embolism, including clinical scores, echocardiography, computed tomography, and biomarkers, are reviewed to guide customized treatment.