Acute pulmonary embolism: Diagnosis and management

Abstract

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) can present with non-specific signs and symptoms and thus the diagnosis and management might not be as straightforward. This review outlines the new PE management guidelines in the Indian context. The exact prevalence in the Indian population is not well defined; despite recent studies suggesting an increasing trend in the Asian population. A delay in treatment can be fatal, especially in massive PE. The nuances associated with stratification and management have led to heterogeneity in acute PE management. The purpose of the review is. 1: To highlight the principles of stratification, diagnosis and management of acute PE with a special attention towards the Indian population. 2: To aid patient selection for newer catheter based therapies.To conclude, formulation of pulmonary embolism guidelines in the Indian setting is required underlying the role of further research in this area.

Keywords

• Pulmonary
• Embolism
• Thrombolysis
• Anticoagulation