scholarly journals CT Pulmonary Angiography in Young Women

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Stein ◽  
Fadi Matta ◽  
Kate E. Hughes ◽  
Mary J. Hughes

The purpose was to determine whether young women in the emergency department who received computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiograms were evaluated to receive lower dose imaging or no imaging, recognizing that the risks of radiation are particularly high in young women. This was a retrospective cohort investigation of women aged 18 to 29 years seen for suspected acute pulmonary embolism in emergency departments of 5 regional hospitals from May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016. Computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiograms were obtained in 379 young women. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed by CT angiography in 2.1%. A Wells probability score could be calculated in 11.9%. D-dimer was obtained in 46.2% and a chest radiograph was obtained in 41.7%. Among patients with a normal chest radiograph, 3.9% had a lung scan. Venous ultrasound of the lower extremities was obtained in 1.8%. Each had an elevated D-dimer. Among the young women who received CT angiograms, 53 were pregnant. In 17.0% of pregnant women, a Wells clinical probability score could be calculated from the medical record. D-dimer in pregnant women was obtained in 30.2%, chest radiograph in 22.6%, lung scan in 11.3%, and venous ultrasound of the lower extremities in none. In conclusion, young women and pregnant women often received CT pulmonary angiograms for suspected acute pulmonary embolism without an objective clinical assessment, measurement of D-dimer, lung scintiscan, or venous ultrasound, which may have eliminated the need for CT pulmonary angiography in many instances.

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-87
Author(s):  
Deepak Subedi ◽  
◽  
Derek Bell ◽  
Shazad Aslam ◽  
Marina J Brochwitz Lewinski ◽  
...  

Background: The utility of D-dimer in the diagnostic workup of pulmonary embolism has been established. Several D-dimer tests are available with different sensitivities and specificities. SimpliRED D-dimer is a rapid qualitative whole blood D-dimer assay suitable for bedside use. Objective: To assess the utility of the SimpliRED D-dimer test in patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism in the absence of formal ‘risk scoring’. Design: A prospective study measuring SimpliRED D-dimer in unselected patients undergoing computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examination for suspected acute pulmonary embolism. Main outcome measures: D-dimer and CTPA results were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of SimpliRED D-dimer were calculated for the unselected patient group. Results: Forty-seven patients underwent D-dimer testing and CTPA. SimpliRED D-dimer was positive in 23 and negative in 24 patients. D-dimer was positive in only 6 (50%) of the 12 patients with positive CTPA. Of the 35 with negative CTPA, 17 had positive D-dimer. The positive predictive value of the D-dimer was 26.1 % and the negative predictive value 75.0%. Conclusion: SimpliRED D-dimer should not be used in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in the absence of risk scoring.


Author(s):  
Mohamed Hossameldin khalifa ◽  
Ahmed Samir ◽  
Ayman Ibrahim Baess ◽  
Sara Samy Hendawi

Abstract Background Vascular angiopathy is suggested to be the major cause of silent hypoxia among COVID-19 patients without severe parenchymal involvement. However, pulmonologists and clinicians in intensive care units become confused when they encounter acute respiratory deterioration with neither severe parenchymal lung involvement nor acute pulmonary embolism. Other radiological vascular signs might solve this confusion. This study investigated other indirect vascular angiopathy signs on CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and involved a novel statistical analysis that was performed to determine the significance of associations between these signs and the CT opacity score of the pathological lung volume, which is calculated by an artificial intelligence system. Results The study was conducted retrospectively, during September and October 2020, on 73 patients with critical COVID-19 who were admitted to the ICU with progressive dyspnea and low O2 saturation on room air (PaO2 < 93%). They included 53 males and 20 females (73%:27%), and their age ranged from 18 to 88 years (mean ± SD=53.3 ± 13.5). CT-pulmonary angiography was performed for all patients, and an artificial intelligence system was utilized to quantitatively assess the diseased lung volume. The radiological data were analyzed by three expert consultant radiologists to reach consensus. A low CT opacity score (≤10) was found in 18 patients (24.7%), while a high CT opacity score (>10) was found in 55 patients (75.3%). Pulmonary embolism was found in 24 patients (32.9%); three of them had low CT opacity scores. Four other indirect vasculopathy CTPA signs were identified: (1) pulmonary vascular enlargement (57 patients—78.1%), (2) pulmonary hypertension (14 patients—19.2%), (3) vascular tree-in-bud pattern (10 patients—13.7%), and (4) pulmonary infarction (three patients—4.1%). There were no significant associations between these signs and the CT opacity score (0.3205–0.7551, all >0.05). Furthermore, both pulmonary vascular enlargement and the vascular tree-in-bud sign were found in patients without pulmonary embolism and low CT-severity scores (13/15–86.7% and 2/15–13.3%, respectively). Conclusion Pulmonary vascular enlargement or, less commonly, vascular tree-in-bud pattern are both indirect vascular angiopathy signs on CTPA that can explain the respiratory deterioration which complicates COVID-19 in the absence of severe parenchymal involvement or acute pulmonary embolism.


Author(s):  
Aya Yassin ◽  
Maryam Ali Abdelkader ◽  
Rehab M. Mohammed ◽  
Ahmed M. Osman

Abstract Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the known sequels of COVID-19 infection. We aimed to assess the incidence of PE in patients with COVID-19 infection and to evaluate the relationship between the CT severity of the disease and the laboratory indicators. This was a retrospective study conducted on 96 patients with COVID-19 infection proved by positive PCR who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) with a calculation of the CT severity of COVID-19 infection. Available patients’ complaint and laboratory data at the time of CTPA were correlated with PE presence and disease severity. Results Forty patients (41.7%) showed positive PE with the median time for the incidence of PE which was 12 days after onset of the disease. No significant correlation was found between the incidence of PE and the patients’ age, sex, laboratory results, and the CT severity of COVID-19. A statistically significant relation was found between the incidence of PE and the patients’ desaturation, hemoptysis, and chest pain. A highly significant correlation was found between the incidence of PE and the rising in the D-dimer level as well as the progressive CT findings when compared to the previous one. Conclusion CT progression and the rising in D-dimer level are considered the most important parameters suggesting underlying PE in patients with positive COVID-19 infection which is commonly seen during the second week of infection and alert the use of CT pulmonary angiography to exclude or confirm PE. This is may help in improving the management of COVID-19 infection.


2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford R. Weiss ◽  
John C. Scatarige ◽  
Gregory B. Diette ◽  
Edward F. Haponik ◽  
Barry Merriman ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Kennedy ◽  
Sisira Jayathissa ◽  
Paul Healy

Aims. To study the use of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) at Hutt Hospital and investigate the use of pretest probability scoring in the assessment of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE).Methods. We studied patients with suspected PE that underwent CTPA between January and May 2012 and collected data on demographics, use of pretest probability scoring, and use of D Dimer and compared our practice with the British Thoracic Society (BTS) guideline.Results. 105 patients underwent CTPA and 15% of patients had PE. 13% of patients had a Wells score prior to their scan. Wells score calculated by researchers revealed 54%, 36%, and 8% patients had low, medium, and high risk pretest probabilities and 8%, 20%, and 50% of these patients had positive scans. D Dimer was performed in 58% of patients and no patients with a negative D Dimer had a PE.Conclusion. The CTPA positive rate was similar to other contemporary studies but lower than previous New Zealand studies and some international guidelines. Risk stratification of suspected PE using Wells score and D Dimer was underutilised. A number of scans could have been safely avoided by using accepted guidelines reducing resources use and improving patient safety.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document