The outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) are quite heterogeneous, and it presents
with non-specific symptoms of variable severity. While some patients have mild symptoms
and PE is diagnosed coincidentally, other patients may present with right ventricular
(RV) dysfunction or experience rapid deterioration that can lead to sudden death [
[1]
]. These outcomes are difficult to categorise. The prognostic heterogeneity of acute
PE also exists for the initial manifestation of deterioration. Hemodynamic decompensation
and respiratory distress are validated predictors of initial manifestations of clinical
deterioration [
[2]
,
[3]
], although it is unclear whether each manifestation is linked to some specific characteristic.
This heterogeneity is likely related to differences in the pulmonary arteries (PAs),
thrombus, and right/left heart that contribute to the pathophysiology of acute PE
[
[4]
]. Therefore, given the number of potentially contributing factors, it is difficult
to analyse this heterogeneity in the prognosis of acute PE.Keywords
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References
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- Pulmonary Embolism and Gas Exchange.Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases. 2019; 98: 253-262
Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 05, 2021
Accepted:
May 16,
2021
Received in revised form:
May 11,
2021
Received:
March 12,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
