Derivation and Validation of a 4-Level Clinical Pretest Probability Score for Suspected Pulmonary Embolism to Safely Decrease Imaging Testing.

Importance: In patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), overuse of diagnostic imaging is an important point of concern.

Objective: To derive and validate a 4-level pretest probability rule (4-Level Pulmonary Embolism Clinical Probability Score [4PEPS]) that makes it possible to rule out PE solely on clinical criteria and optimized D-dimer measurement to safely decrease imaging testing for suspected PE.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This study included consecutive outpatients suspected of having PE from US and European emergency departments.

Pulmonary vasodilation in acute pulmonary embolism - a systematic review.

Acute pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Pulmonary embolism increases right ventricular afterload, which causes right ventricular failure, circulatory collapse and death. Most treatments focus on removal of the mechanical obstruction caused by the embolism, but pulmonary vasoconstriction is a significant contributor to the increased right ventricular afterload and is often left untreated.

Role of inflammation in right ventricular damage and repair following experimental pulmonary embolism in rats.

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with poor clinical outcome following pulmonary embolism (PE). Previous studies in our laboratory show that influx of neutrophils contributes to acute RV damage seen in an 18 h rat model of PE. The present study describes the further progression of inflammation over 6 weeks and compares the neutrophil and monocyte responses.