Diagnosis and risk stratification in acute pulmonary embolism: the role of echocardiography

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a frequently encountered clinical condition with a high mortality rate that is affected by various factors such as age, hemodynamics, and other comorbidities. Early diagnosis and risk stratification are crucial to achieving a favorable clinical outcome. New risk stratification algorithms have been proposed in order to identify high-risk patients who will benefit from early thrombolytic treatment. Among the various validated diagnostic methods, the role of echocardiography is increasingly accepted. Recent advances in studying right ventricular function have made echocardiography an attractive tool for establishing or excluding the diagnosis of acute PE in the emergency setting and initiating optimal therapy.