Prognostic importance of quantitative echocardiographic evaluation in patients suspected of first non-massive pulmonary embolism

Patients suspected of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) frequently undergo echocardiography as a part of the initial work-up. Prognostic implication of routine echocardiography in patients suspected of PE remain to be established. Transthoracic echocardiography, including tissue Doppler imaging, was performed in 283 consecutive patients referred for ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (V/Q scan) on suspicion of first non-massive PE. The prognostic information of quantitative measures of right ventricular (RV) size, function, and pressure was assessed. Patients with PE had a follow-up echocardiography after 1 year and changes in the parameters were assessed. Patients with PE and normal V/Q scans had similar age-adjusted 1 year mortality [10 and 12%, NS (not significant)], although patients with indeterminate scans carried a poorer prognosis (16% survival, P = 0.0004). Among all patients left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction as well as shortening of the pulmonary artery (PA) acceleration time (a measure of RV after-load) was associated with increased mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84 per 10 ms increase, P < 0.0001]. In patients with confirmed PE, the PA acceleration time is predictive of event-free survival (all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalizations) adjusted for LV ejection fraction, age, and sex (HR = 0.78 per 10 ms increase, P = 0.04). Measures of regional myocardial function were not related to outcome in this study, regardless of presence of PE. PA acceleration time and LV systolic function are independent predictors of mortality in patients suspected of PE, and are independent predictors of event-free survival in patients with confirmed PE.