Right atrial to left atrial area ratio on early echocardiography predicts long-term survival after acute pulmonary embolism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Current guidelines recommend that transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) should be performed for acute risk stratification following acute pulmonary embolism (PE), but it is unclear whether the initial TTE can predict long-term outcome beyond six months. We sought to assess the potential of the initial right atrial (RA) to left atrial (LA) area ratio (RA/LA ratio) on TTE to predict long-term mortality in survivors of submassive PE.

Methods

A derivation cohort comprised a previously reported group of 35 consecutive patients with acute PE who were intensively studied by serial TTE at 1, 2, 5 days, 2, 6, 12 and 26 weeks and RA/LA ratio related to long-term outcome. The Day 1 RA/LA ratio findings were then further related to long-term outcome in 158 patients followed fo

SUBMITTER: Chow V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3673888 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature