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Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) may have prognostic value in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and may be used to guide treatment decisions (NEJM JW Emerg Med Mar 2014 and Chest 2013; 144:1539). Turkish investigators conducted a retrospective single-center study to evaluate a new predictor of right ventricular dysfunction, the blood pressure index (BPI), defined as the ratio of systolic to diastolic blood pressure.
The study enrolled 539 patients with acute PE diagnosed by computed tomography. Of these, 74% had right ventricular dysfunction, which was diagnosed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion ≤17 mm on echocardiography. The mortality rate was 9.5% in patients with right ventricular dysfunction and 1.4% in those wi…