[Diagnosis of acute pulmonary artery embolism]

The clinical picture and the electrocardiographic and rheopneumographic findings were compared with the data obtained during operation or angiopneumography in 31 patients with embolism of the pulmonary artery. In massive embolism of the pulmonary artery, the dominating clinical symptoms were sudden dyspnea, tachycardia and cyanosis. Collapse and cardiac arrest were encountered in most patients. Moderate embolism is characterized by advancing dyspnea but cyanosis and tachycardia are inconsistant symptoms. The results of electrocardiography and rheopneumography are in correlation with the data obtained in catheterization of the heart, angiopneumography and during embolectomy.