We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Echocardiography Helps Predict Pulmonary Embolism Outcomes

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 12 Sep 2018
A new study suggests that transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can help clinicians calculate short-term mortality outcomes for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

For the study, researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (NYP; New York, NY, USA), University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV; Switzerland), and other institutions extracted data for the years 2001-2017 from Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica (RIETE), a 179 collaborating centers registry of consecutive patients with acute PE in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. An analysis was then conducted in order to determine contemporary utilization of early TTE and explore the association between TTE findings and PE‐related mortality.

The results revealed that among 35,935 enrollees with acute PE, 42.8% underwent early TTE, with an evident increase in early TTE utilization rate over time. Younger age, female sex, history of coronary disease, heart failure (HD), atrial fibrillation (AF), tachycardia, and hypotension were the main predictors of early TTE. In multivariable analyses, right atrial enlargement, right ventricular hypokinesis, and right heart thrombi were associated with increased odds for PE‐related mortality. The study was published on August 26, 2018, in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Acute pulmonary embolism is a serious thromboembolic condition accounting for thousands of hospitalizations and associated with high short-term mortality rates. Some studies suggest that TTE could help in the early risk stratification of patients with acute PE,” concluded lead author Behnood Bikdeli, MD, of NYP, and colleagues. “Early TTE was performed in over one-third of patients, and the proportion increased over time. History of prior cardiovascular disease and clinical markers of PE severity were among the main predictors of early TTE.”

TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram, involving an ultrasonic transducer placed non-invasively on the chest or abdomen to assess the overall health of the heart, including evaluation of all four chambers, the condition of the heart valves, the endocardium, and the aorta. It can be used to detect a heart attack, enlargement or hypertrophy of the heart, infiltrations, cardiac tumors and a variety of other findings. The images are displayed on-screen for real-time viewing, and then recorded.

Related Links:
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
University Hospital Lausanne


New
Cylindrical Water Scanning System
SunSCAN 3D
Ultra-Flat DR Detector
meX+1717SCC
Portable X-ray Unit
AJEX140H
Ultrasound Imaging System
P12 Elite
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to MedImaging.net and get complete access to news and events that shape the world of Radiology.
  • Free digital version edition of Medical Imaging International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of Medical Imaging International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of Medical Imaging International in digital format
  • Free Medical Imaging International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

MRI

view channel
Image: The AI tool can help interpret and assess how well treatments are working for MS patients (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Tool Tracks Effectiveness of Multiple Sclerosis Treatments Using Brain MRI Scans

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition in which the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, leading to impairments in movement, sensation, and cognition. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) markers... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.