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Published on: October 25, 2024
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Right heart thrombi in pulmonary embolism
Deisy Barrios1,2, Vladimir Rosa-Salazar3,2, David Jiménez4
1Respiratory Dept, Ramón y Cajal Hospital and Universidad de Alcala (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
The European Respiratory Journal
|November 2, 2016
Summary
Right heart thrombi (RHT) are infrequent in pulmonary embolism (PE) but significantly increase mortality risk. Identifying RHT predictors is crucial for better PE patient outcomes and risk stratification.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Thrombosis Research
Background:
- Right heart thrombi (RHT) in pulmonary embolism (PE) lack comprehensive data on prevalence, predictors, and prognostic significance.
- Existing research has not fully elucidated the impact of RHT on patient outcomes in PE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence and predictors of RHT in patients with PE.
- To determine the association between RHT and outcomes including mortality, recurrence, and major bleeding.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 12,441 PE patients from the RIETE registry with baseline echocardiographic data.
- Assessment of RHT prevalence, associated risk factors, and 30-day outcomes (mortality, recurrence, bleeding).
Main Results:
- RHT was present in 2.6% of PE patients.
- Predictors of RHT included younger age, prior bleeding, heart failure, cancer, syncope, hypotension, and low oxygen saturation.
- RHT was associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality (aOR 2.50) and PE-related mortality (aOR 4.29), and increased recurrence risk (p=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Right heart thrombi are relatively infrequent in pulmonary embolism.
- The presence of RHT in PE patients is linked to worse outcomes, including increased mortality and recurrence.
- Further research into RHT management in PE is warranted.
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