However, no short-term adverse clinical outcomes seen for these patients versus low-risk patients without concerning findings<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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TUESDAY, July 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Concerning computed tomography (CT) findings among patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) are associated with increased hospitalization and resource utilization without short-term adverse clinical outcomes, according to a study recently published in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Connor O Hare, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined whether concerning CT findings among patients seen in the emergency department with acute, low-risk PE are associated with differences in treatment and\/or clinical outcome. The analysis included 817 adults with PE characterized as high risk or low risk (bilateral central embolus, right ventricle-to-left ventricle ratio greater than 1.0, right ventricle enlargement, septal abnormality, or pulmonary infarction).<\/p>\n The researchers found that 40.5 percent of PEs were low risk and 59.5 percent were high risk by PE Severity Index score. For all low-risk patients, clinical outcomes were similar, with no 30-day deaths in the low-risk group with concerning CTPE findings (0 of 151 patients) versus four of 180 (2.2 percent) in the low-risk group without concerning CT findings and 18.1 percent in the high-risk group. Compared with those without concerning CTPE findings, low-risk patients with concerning CT findings were less frequently discharged from the emergency department (2.0 versus 7.8 percent). Additionally, low-risk patients with concerning findings had more frequent echocardiography (57.6 versus 27.2 percent without concerning findings) and PE response team activation for consideration of advanced therapies (22.5 versus 6.1 percent).<\/p>\n “These findings suggest that concerning computed tomography imaging findings may be a significant barrier to outpatient treatment among patients with otherwise low-risk acute PE,” the authors write.<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n