Short-term mortality in acute pulmonary embolism: clot burden and signs of right heart dysfunction at CT pulmonary angiography.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To assess the correlation between volumetric measurements of clot, semiquantitative clot burden indexes, and signs of right heart dysfunction at computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and to determine whether clot burden and signs of right heart dysfunction are associated with short-term mortality.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study was institutional review board approved and HIPAA compliant. CT pulmonary angiographic studies (January 2007 through December 2007) with findings positive for PE were retrieved. Two readers evaluated signs of right heart dysfunction at CT pulmonary angiography, measured clot volume using a dedicated software program, and assessed clot burden using semiquantitative scores

SUBMITTER: Furlan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3447174 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature