You are leaving Medscape Education
Cancel Continue
Log in to save activities Your saved activities will show here so that you can easily access them whenever you're ready. Log in here CME & Education Log in to keep track of your credits.

From Medscape Education Cardiology

Treating Patients with Pulmonary Embolism: Which Patients Can Be Treated as Outpatients?


About This Series

Please read and answer the question below. Based on your response, you will be directed to an educational program that is targeted to your specific learning needs.

Please read and answer the question below. Based on your response, you will be directed to an educational program that is targeted to your specific learning needs.

A 65-year old man, who smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day and has a history of hyperlipidemia and angina, presents to the emergency department (ED) with persistent fatigue and severe, non-radiating chest pain that worsens on inspiration. On admission, his BP = 140/82 mm Hg; peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) = 94%; heart rate = 66 beats per minute (bpm); respirations = 12/min; T = 97.9 F, and body mass index = 31.4 kg/m2. His lungs are clear, and there are no clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). He undergoes further testing and an immediate CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) shows several pulmonary emboli. A diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is confirmed.