Prediction of pulmonary embolism outcome and severity by computed tomography.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. When PE is fatal, right ventricular failure usually occurs within the first few hours, so right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) should be diagnosed rapidly to identify patients who could benefit from fibrinolytic therapy.

Purpose: To determine whether quantification of PE with computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography and ventricular measurements is of value in the diagnosis of PE severity and prediction of patient outcome.