title: [Acute pulmonary embolism].
abstract: In the absence of significant symptoms and signs the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism remains difficult. Sensitivity and specificity of laboratory tests, chest x-ray, ECG, echocardiography and venous studies on their own is low. Ventilation-perfusion scanning establishes or excludes the diagnosis only in those patients with "high-probability" or "normal" scanning results. The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism should be made by combining clinical assessment, several diagnostic techniques, and, finally, pulmonary angiography in doubtful cases. Heparin remains the standard therapy for patients with stable hemodynamics. Thrombolytic therapy is recommended in hemodynamically compromised patients. In short-term dose regimens the thrombolytic agents urokinase and rt-PA seem to be equally effective. So far, however, no study has proven that thrombolytic therapy significantly reduces mortality in pulmonary embolism.
authors.affiliation: Abt. Pneumologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niedermeyer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fabel
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013300:Streptokinase; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
vernacular_title: Akute Lungenembolie.