[Prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography in hemodynamically stable patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism]. / Valor pronóstico de la ecocardiografía transtorácica en pacientes estables hemodinámicamente con tromboembolia de pulmón aguda sintomática.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography in hemodynamically stable patients diagnosed with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Hemodynamically stable outpatients diagnosed with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism at a tertiary university hospital were prospectively included in the study. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 48 hours of diagnosis. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 month. RESULTS: Right ventricular dysfunction was documented by echocardiography in 86 of the 214 patients (40%) in our series. In the first month of follow-up, 7 patients died--4 with positive echocardiographic findings and 3 with negative findings (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-9.3; P=.41). For the primary endpoint, the negative predictive value of transthoracic echocardiography was 98%, the positive predictive value was 5%, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.7. The negative predictive value was 100% and the positive predictive value was 3% when we analyzed death due to pulmonary embolism only. CONCLUSIONS: In our setting, transthoracic echocardiography is not useful for prognostic stratification of hemodynamically stable patients with pulmonary embolism.

Valor pronóstico de la ecocardiografía transtorácica en pacientes estables hemodinámicamente con tromboembolia de pulmón aguda sintomática / Prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography in hemodynamically stable patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism

Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio ha sido evaluar el valor pronóstico de la ecocardiografía transtorácica en pacientes estables hemodinámicamente con diagnóstico de tromboembolia pulmonar (TEP) aguda sintomática. Pacientes y métodos: Se incluyó prospectivamente en el estudio a todos los pacientes ambulatorios, estables hemodinámicamente, diagnosticados de TEP aguda sintomática en un hospital universitario terciario. Se realizó a todos ellos una ecocardiografía transtorácica en las 48 h posteriores al diagnóstico. El criterio de evaluación principal fue la muerte por todas las causas a un mes. Resultados: La prevalencia de criterios ecocardiográficos de disfunción del ventrículo derecho fue de un 40% en nuestra serie (86/214). Durante el primer mes de seguimiento se produjeron 7 fallecimientos, 4 en el grupo con ecocardiografía positiva y 3 en el grupo con ecocardiografía negativa (odds ratio = 2,0; intervalo de confianza del 95%, 0,4-9,3; p = 0,41). La ecocardiografía transtorácica demostró un valor predictivo negativo del 98%, un valor predictivo positivo del 5% y un cociente de probabilidad negativo de 0,7 respecto al parámetro de valoración principal. Cuando sólo se consideró la muerte por TEP, el valor predictivo negativo fue del 100% y el valor predictivo positivo, del 3%. Conclusiones: En nuestro medio la ecocardiografía transtorácica carece de utilidad en la estratificación pronóstica de los pacientes estables hemodinámicamente con TEP

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography in hemodynamically stable patients diagnosed with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. Patients and Methods: Hemodynamically stable outpatients diagnosed with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism at a tertiary university hospital were prospectively included in the study. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 48 hours of diagnosis. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 1 month. Results: Right ventricular dysfunction was documented by echocardiography in 86 of the 214 patients (40%) in our series. In the first month of follow-up, 7 patients died--4 with positive echocardiographic findings and 3 with negative findings (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-9.3; P=.41). For the primary endpoint, the negative predictive value of transthoracic echocardiography was 98%, the positive predictive value was 5%, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.7. The negative predictive value was 100% and the positive predictive value was 3% when we analyzed death due to pulmonary embolism only. Conclusions: In our setting, transthoracic echocardiography is not useful for prognostic stratification of hemodynamically stable patients with pulmonary embolism