Troponin as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Low-Risk Pulmonary Embolism

Meta-analysis suggests positive troponin status identifies moderately high 30-day risk, probably warranting inpatient management.

Patients presenting with low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) by validated risk stratification rules (i.e., pulmonary embolism severity index [PESI] or simplified PESI [sPESI]) often can be managed as outpatients (NEJM JW Emerg Med Feb 2016 and Chest 2016; 149:315). However, as cardiac troponin in PE patients is assessed commonly in the emergency department, whether — and to what extent — elevated troponin affects outcomes in otherwise low-risk patients is unclear.

In a systematic review of 16 studies in which PESI or sPESI was used to initially assess risk in PE patients, investigators performed a meta-analysis of 691 low-risk PE patients (one third of whom had positive troponin levels) and found significantly higher 30-day all-cause mortality …

Reviewing Authors

Spencer Maddox, MD

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Troponin as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Low-Risk Pulmonary Embolism

Topics

Reviewing Authors