- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Part 5.1 Physiology
- Part 5.2 Cardiovascular monitoring
- Part 5.3 Acute chest pain and coronary syndromes
- Part 5.4 Aortic dissection
- Part 5.5 The hypotensive patient
- Part 5.6 Cardiac failure
- Part 5.7 Tachyarrhythmias
- Part 5.8 Bradyarrhythmias
- Part 5.9 Valvular problems
- Part 5.10 Endocarditis
- Part 5.11 Severe hypertension
- Part 5.12 Severe capillary leak
- Part 5.13 Pericardial tamponade
- Part 5.14 Pulmonary hypertension
- Part 5.15 Pulmonary embolus
- Chapter 170 Pathophysiology and causes of pulmonary embolism
- Chapter 171 Diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care
(p. 805) Diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism
- Chapter:
- (p. 805) Diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism
- Author(s):
Mervyn Singer
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199600830.003.0171
Computerized tomographic pulmonary angiography is the current gold standard tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Mortality risk stratification based on clinical, imaging, and biochemical indices dictates the treatment strategy employed in an individual patient from outpatient anticoagulation to surgical or percutaneous embolectomy for severe, life-threatening cases.Presentation of acute pulmonary embolism ranges from a chance diagnostic finding in an otherwise asymptomatic patient through to shock and cardiac arrest. The degree of obstruction and the ability (or otherwise) of the patient to compensate for any cardiorespiratory derangement will dictate the symptomatology, clinical findings, and eventual outcome. The scale of medical intervention—ranging from anticoagulation through to thrombolysis and, on occasion, embolectomy—can be based on a variety of clinical, biochemical and imaging risk indices.
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- Section 1 ICU organization and management
- Section 2 Pharmacotherapeutics
- Section 3 Resuscitation
- Section 4 The respiratory system
- Section 5 The cardiovascular system
- Part 5.1 Physiology
- Part 5.2 Cardiovascular monitoring
- Part 5.3 Acute chest pain and coronary syndromes
- Part 5.4 Aortic dissection
- Part 5.5 The hypotensive patient
- Part 5.6 Cardiac failure
- Part 5.7 Tachyarrhythmias
- Part 5.8 Bradyarrhythmias
- Part 5.9 Valvular problems
- Part 5.10 Endocarditis
- Part 5.11 Severe hypertension
- Part 5.12 Severe capillary leak
- Part 5.13 Pericardial tamponade
- Part 5.14 Pulmonary hypertension
- Part 5.15 Pulmonary embolus
- Chapter 170 Pathophysiology and causes of pulmonary embolism
- Chapter 171 Diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism
- Section 6 The gastrointestinal system
- Section 7 Nutrition
- Section 8 The renal system
- Section 9 The neurological system
- Section 10 The metabolic and endocrine systems
- Section 11 The haematological system
- Section 12 The skin and connective tissue
- Section 13 Infection
- Section 14 Inflammation
- Section 15 Poisoning
- Section 16 Trauma
- Section 17 Physical disorders
- Section 18 Pain and sedation
- Section 19 General surgical and obstetric intensive care
- Section 20 Specialized intensive care
- Section 21 Recovery from critical illness
- Section 22 End-of-life care