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[Quantitative two-dimensional echocardiography in acute pulmonary embolism].
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
|November 30, 1991
Summary
Echocardiography can detect acute cor pulmonale (ACP) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. While normal echocardiography doesn't rule out pulmonary embolism, ACP signs strongly suggest it.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a critical condition often requiring rapid diagnosis.
- Acute cor pulmonale (ACP) is a key indicator of right heart strain due to PE.
- Two-dimensional echocardiography is a non-invasive tool for assessing cardiac function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of echocardiography in identifying acute cor pulmonale (ACP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE).
- To determine if echocardiographic findings can reliably confirm or exclude PE.
Main Methods:
- Emergency two-dimensional echocardiography was performed on 61 ICU patients with suspected PE.
- Pulmonary angiography was used as the gold standard to confirm or exclude PE.
- Echocardiographic signs of ACP were assessed.
Main Results:
- Of 13 patients with normal echocardiograms, 7 did not have PE.
- All patients exhibiting echocardiographic signs of ACP were diagnosed with PE.
- Echocardiography demonstrated high specificity for ACP in the context of suspected PE.
Conclusions:
- Normal echocardiographic findings do not exclude the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
- The presence of echocardiographic signs of acute cor pulmonale strongly indicates pulmonary embolism.
- Echocardiography is a valuable tool for the rapid assessment of suspected PE in the ICU.