Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease
We recently identified four patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who presented with progressive, but nonspecific, respiratory symptoms and were initially diagnosed with an exacerbation of established or presumed airflow obstruction. No specific explanation for the apparent respiratory exacerba...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles
2014-10-01
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| Series: | Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://pulmonarychronicles.com/index.php/pulmonarychronicles/article/view/172 |
| _version_ | 1811281157067636736 |
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| author | Robert B Tompkins Vaughn Harris Clayton Brown David E Griffith |
| author_facet | Robert B Tompkins Vaughn Harris Clayton Brown David E Griffith |
| author_sort | Robert B Tompkins |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We recently identified four patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who presented with progressive, but nonspecific, respiratory symptoms and were initially diagnosed with an exacerbation of established or presumed airflow obstruction. No specific explanation for the apparent respiratory exacerbation was found and each patient failed to respond to bronchodilator and/or antibiotic therapy, thereby triggering an evaluation for PE. Pulmonary embolism occurs with disturbing frequency in the setting of an apparent chronic airflow obstruction exacerbation without a clear explanation. Suspicion of PE by the clinician is essential as patient symptoms and routine laboratory evaluation do not always differentiate PE from exacerbation of airflow obstruction. D-dimer determination is a reasonable first diagnostic step with subsequent testing directed by the D-dimer result in the context of an individualized assessment of PE risk. The diagnosis of PE in this setting is critically important for avoiding the attendant morbidity and mortality associated with untreated PE. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:27:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62f599c6faa841d78758ea4571a67901 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2325-9205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:27:36Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles |
| spelling | doaj.art-62f599c6faa841d78758ea4571a679012022-12-22T03:08:35ZengSouthwest Respiratory and Critical Care ChroniclesSouthwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles2325-92052014-10-0128516158Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung DiseaseRobert B Tompkins0Vaughn HarrisClayton BrownDavid E GriffithDepartment of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences CenterWe recently identified four patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who presented with progressive, but nonspecific, respiratory symptoms and were initially diagnosed with an exacerbation of established or presumed airflow obstruction. No specific explanation for the apparent respiratory exacerbation was found and each patient failed to respond to bronchodilator and/or antibiotic therapy, thereby triggering an evaluation for PE. Pulmonary embolism occurs with disturbing frequency in the setting of an apparent chronic airflow obstruction exacerbation without a clear explanation. Suspicion of PE by the clinician is essential as patient symptoms and routine laboratory evaluation do not always differentiate PE from exacerbation of airflow obstruction. D-dimer determination is a reasonable first diagnostic step with subsequent testing directed by the D-dimer result in the context of an individualized assessment of PE risk. The diagnosis of PE in this setting is critically important for avoiding the attendant morbidity and mortality associated with untreated PE.http://pulmonarychronicles.com/index.php/pulmonarychronicles/article/view/172COPDpulmonary embolusdiagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Robert B Tompkins Vaughn Harris Clayton Brown David E Griffith Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles COPD pulmonary embolus diagnosis |
| title | Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease |
| title_full | Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease |
| title_fullStr | Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease |
| title_short | Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Suspected or Established Chronic Lung Disease |
| title_sort | diagnosing pulmonary embolism in patients with suspected or established chronic lung disease |
| topic | COPD pulmonary embolus diagnosis |
| url | http://pulmonarychronicles.com/index.php/pulmonarychronicles/article/view/172 |
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