PE is a prevalent and potentially lifethreatening
cardiovascular condition
that may be difficult to diagnose. It has
protean and often nonspecific manifestations.
It is the third most common
cardiovascular cause of death in the
United States, and yet, in comparison
with ischemic heart disease, does not
enjoy a similar robust clinical trial
evidence base to dictate appropriate
therapeutic strategies. Treatment
of PE is generally guided by severity,
yet risk stratification classifications
are not universally accepted and differ
between major evidence-based
clinical practice guidelines, including
those promulgated by the American
Heart Association,1 American College
of Chest Physicians,2 and European
Society of Cardiology.3 Inadequate
clinical trial data limit these guidelines