title: One-shot diagnostic and prognostic assessment in intermediate- to high-risk acute pulmonary embolism: the role of multidetector computed tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is useful for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). However, current guidelines do not support its use for risk assessment in acute PE patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared the prognostic impact of MDCT-derived indices regarding medium-term mortality in a population of intermediate- to high-risk PE patients, mostly treated by thrombolysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine consecutive patients admitted to an intensive care unit with acute PE were studied. All patients had a pulmonary MDCT on admission to the emergency room as part of the diagnostic algorithm. We assessed the following MDCT variables: right ventricular/left ventricular diameter (RV/LV) ratio, arterial obstruction index, pulmonary artery-to-aorta diameter ratio and azygos vein diameter. A 33-month follow-up was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 59.1±19.6 years, with 80% of patients receiving thrombolysis. Follow-up all-cause mortality was 12.8%. Of the MDCT-derived variables, only the RV/LV ratio had significant predictive value, being higher in patients who suffered the endpoint (1.6±0.5 vs. 1.9±0.4, p=0.046). Patients with an RV/LV ratio ≥1.8 had 11-fold higher medium-term all-cause mortality (3.8% vs. 38.8%, p<0.001). Regarding this endpoint, the c-statistic was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.60-0.96) for RV/LV ratio and calibration was good (goodness-of-fit p=0.594). No other radiological index was predictive of mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDCT gives the possibility, in a single imaging procedure, of diagnosing and assessing the prognosis of patients with intermediate- to high-risk PE. Although further studies are needed, the simple-to-calculate RV/LV ratio has good discrimination and calibration for predicting poorer outcomes in patients with acute PE.
authors.affiliation: Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. ruibaptista@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Elisabete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curvo-Semedo
authors.forename: Graça
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caseiro-Alves
authors.forename: Luís A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Providência
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult