Pulmonary embolism history and symptoms
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Editor(s)-In-Chief: The APEX Trial Investigators, C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]
Synonyms and Keywords: PE
Overview
The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism depend on the severity of the disease. Majority of the patients may remain asymptomatic and pulmonary embolism may be an incidental finding.[1] However, the common symptoms of pulmonary embolism range from mild dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, tachypnea to severe circulatory collapse and sustained hypotension.[2][1] The absence of these symptoms may be associated with reduced clinical probability of pulmonary embolism. Additionally, the symptoms of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis may also be present.
Common symptoms
- Dyspnea with or without chest pain which may be pleuritic or substernal.
- Hemoptysis secondary to distal vessel embolism with subsequent pulmonary infarction (alveolar haemorrhage).[3]
- Circulatory collapse with subsequent syncope, sustained hypotension and shock which are associated with massive pulmonary embolism.[4][1]
- Among the elderly, symptoms of pulmonary embolism may mimic an indolent pneumonia or heart failure.
Supportive trial data
The Prospective Investigation Of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED) study identified the following symptoms to be present in majority of with angiographically proven pulmonary embolism.[2]
ESC Guideline Recommendation- Suspected High-risk PE[5]
“ |
Class I1. In high-risk PE, as indicated by the presence of shock or hypotension, emergency CT or bedside echocardiography (depending on availability and clinical circumstances) is recommended for diagnostic purposes. (Level of Evidence: C) |
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Guideline Resources
Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism. The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism of the European Society of Cardiology[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Agnelli G, Becattini C (2010). "Acute pulmonary embolism". The New England Journal of Medicine. 363 (3): 266–74. doi:10.1056/NEJMra0907731. PMID 20592294. Retrieved 2012-04-26. Unknown parameter
|month=
ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stein PD, Beemath A, Matta F, Weg JG, Yusen RD, Hales CA, Hull RD, Leeper KV, Sostman HD, Tapson VF, Buckley JD, Gottschalk A, Goodman LR, Wakefied TW, Woodard PK (2007). "Clinical characteristics of patients with acute pulmonary embolism: data from PIOPED II". The American Journal of Medicine. 120 (10): 871–9. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2007.03.024. PMC 2071924. PMID 17904458. Retrieved 2012-04-26. Unknown parameter
|month=
ignored (help) - ↑ Stein PD, Henry JW (1997). "Clinical characteristics of patients with acute pulmonary embolism stratified according to their presenting syndromes". Chest. 112 (4): 974–9. PMID 9377961. Retrieved 2012-04-26. Unknown parameter
|month=
ignored (help) - ↑ Jaff MR, McMurtry MS, Archer SL, Cushman M, Goldenberg N, Goldhaber SZ, Jenkins JS, Kline JA, Michaels AD, Thistlethwaite P, Vedantham S, White RJ, Zierler BK (2011). "Management of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism, iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis, and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association". Circulation. 123 (16): 1788–830. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e318214914f. PMID 21422387. Retrieved 2012-04-26. Unknown parameter
|month=
ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Torbicki A, Perrier A, Konstantinides S, Agnelli G, Galiè N, Pruszczyk P, Bengel F, Brady AJ, Ferreira D, Janssens U, Klepetko W, Mayer E, Remy-Jardin M, Bassand JP (2008). "Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism: the Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)". European Heart Journal. 29 (18): 2276–315. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn310. PMID 18757870. Retrieved 2012-04-26. Unknown parameter
|month=
ignored (help)