Novel management strategy for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism

Aims A simple management strategy is required for patients with acute pulmonary embolism which allows a rapid and reliable diagnosis in order to start timely and appropriate treatment. Methods and results Two hundred and four consecutive patients with suspected pulmonary embolism were managed according to a standardized protocol based on the clinical pretest probability and the initial haemodynamic presentation (shock index=heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure). Patients with a high pretest probability and a positive shock index (≥1) \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \((n=21)\) \end{document} underwent urgent transthoracic echocardiography. Based on the presence or absence of right ventricular dysfunction, reperfusion treatment was initiated immediately. Patients with a negative shock index (