Risk stratification of acute pulmonary embolism based on clinical parameters, H-FABP and multidetector CT

Risk stratification of normotensive patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) includes the assessment of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), biomarker levels, and a clinical score as suggested by the 2014 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). We performed an external validation of the prognostic performance of Heart-type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) and incorporated it into the new ESC algorithm. H-FABP was measured by fully-automated immunoturbidimetry in 716 patients from the PROTECT study (PROgnosTic valuE of CT scan in haemodynamically stable patients with acute symptomatic PE). H-FABP ranged from 0.7 to 123.6 ng/ml (median 4.13; IQR, 2.53–6.61) and was above the cut-off of 6 ng/ml in 209 patients (29.2%). A complicated course within 30 days (death, catecholamine administration, mechanical ventilation, resuscitation) occurred in 1.1% (n = 3) of the 271 low risk patients with a simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) of 0 and was particular low (0.4%), if H-FABP levels were normal. In the case of elevated H-FABP, 4.3% of patients suffered complications despite sPESI of 0. The risk for an adverse 30-day outcome increased for patients of the intermediate-low and intermediate-high risk group and was highest for the combination of sPESI ≥1 with RVD on MDCT and elevated H-FABP (odds ratio 12.3, 95% confidence interval, 3.49–43.32; P 0 and RVD on MDCT.•H-FABP is a suitable biomarker for risk stratification of normotensive PE patients.