Pulmonary embolism and cardiac enzymes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary embolism (PE) can present with chest pain, ECG changes, and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction.
• Elevated troponin levels have been reported in PE, indicating potential prognostic implications.
• The relationship between PE, cardiac enzymes, and chest pain requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pulmonary embolism (PE) and elevated cardiac enzymes.
• To determine if chest pain influences the relationship between PE and cardiac enzyme levels.
• To explore the correlation between RV dysfunction and chest pain in PE patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 93 patients with high-probability ventilation/perfusion lung scans for PE.
• Assessment of chest pain, cardiac enzyme levels, and echocardiographic evidence of RV dysfunction.
• Comparison of findings between patients with and without chest pain.

Main Results:

• Only 1 out of 56 patients evaluated had abnormal cardiac enzymes; this patient had a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction.
• No significant relationship was found between RV dysfunction and chest pain (P > .10).
• No significant association between PE and abnormal cardiac enzymes, regardless of chest pain presence.

Conclusions:

• High-probability PE on V/Q scans is not significantly associated with abnormal cardiac enzymes.
• Chest pain occurrence in PE patients is not linked to the presence of RV dysfunction or a history of CAD.
• Cardiac enzyme evaluation in PE may not be significantly impacted by chest pain presentation.