Ultrasound in pulmonary embolism

Authors

Pedro Salinas, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
Bilal A. Jalil, Divisions of Cardiovascular Critical Care and Advanced Heart Failure, Heart & Vascular Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
Siddharth Dugar, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Integrated Hospital Care Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western University Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. Electronic address: dugars@ccf.org.

Recommended Citation

Salinas P, Jalil BA, Dugar S. Ultrasound in Pulmonary Embolism. Crit Care Clin. 2025;41(3):455-479. doi:10.1016/j.ccc.2025.02.002

Affiliations

Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center

Abstract

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant cause of illness and death. Computed Tomography pulmonary angiography is considered the gold standard for diagnosing PE, but it is costly, not practical in cases of shock and cardiac arrest, and exposes the patient to radiation. In this review, we will discuss the role and characteristics of lung, venous, and cardiac ultrasound in point-of-care diagnosis and risk assessment of PE and suggest how to incorporate them into a diagnostic algorithm. Point-of-care ultrasound has numerous benefits, nevertheless, it is complex, has low individual sensitivity, and requires extensive training.

Type

Article

PubMed ID

40484615