Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • ERS Guidelines
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • COVID-19 submission information
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Subscriptions
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

User menu

  • Log in
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

Login

European Respiratory Society

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • ERS Guidelines
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • COVID-19 submission information
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Subscriptions

ECG for risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism

D. Jimenez
European Respiratory Journal 2005 26: 366-367; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.05.00054805
D. Jimenez
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

To the Editors:

We read with interest the paper by Geibel et al. 1 on the prognostic value of the ECG in patients with acute major pulmonary embolism (PE). In the last few years a number of studies have been published for risk stratification of patients with PE, with the suspicion that there could be a subgroup of haemodynamically stable patients (submassive PE), in whom thrombolysis could be beneficial 2–4.

The hypothesis of the study 1 was that ECG could be a simple baseline test (as compared with echocardiography) to identify risk of death in patients with PE. However, the population of the study included either patients with haemodynamically unstable PE, in whom thrombolysis is usually indicated, or patients with submassive PE, who are identified by echocardiographic findings. Therefore, the results may be of limited value in clinical practice.

We studied 302 consecutive normotensive patients with a diagnosis of PE in a 2-yr period. The mean age was 68 yrs (95% confidence interval (CI): 66–70) of whom 55% were female. We analysed the prognostic relevance of ECG with respect to early mortality (defined as those presented in the first 30 days). ECG was available in 278 patients, of which 116 (42%) were normal. ECG abnormalities were: 1) sinus tachycardia in 93 patients; 2) ST-T abnormalities in 29 patients; 3) complete right bundle branch block in 42 patients; 4) S1Q3T3 pattern in 32 patients; 5) atrial arrythmia in 22 patients; and 6) right axis pattern in two patients. Early death occurred in 16 patients (6%). The 12-lead ECG did not show differences between survivors and nonsurvivors during the first 30 days after admission. Univariate analysis revealed that ECG abnormalities were not significant independent predictors of outcome (odds ratio: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.2–2.5). Our results do not support the usefulness of ECG for risk stratification in haemodynamically stable patients with pulmonary embolism.

    • © ERS Journals Ltd

    References

    1. ↵
      Geibel A, Zehender M, Kasper W, Olschewski M, Klima C, Konstantinides SV. Prognostic value of the ECG on admission in patients with acute major pulmonary embolism. Eur Respir J 2005;25:843–848.
      OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
    2. ↵
      Konstantinides S, Geibel A, Heusel G, et al. Heparin plus alteplase compared with heparin alone in patients with submassive pulmonary embolism. N Engl J Med 2002;347:1143–1150.
      OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
    3. Giannitsis E, Muller-Bardorff M, Kurowski V, et al. Independent prognostic value of cardiac troponin T in patients with confirmed pulmonary embolism. Circulation 2000;102:211–217.
      OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
    4. ↵
      Pruszczyk P, Bochowicz A, Torbicki A, et al. Cardiac troponin T monitoring identifies high-risk group of normotensive patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Chest 2003;123:1947–1952.
      OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science
    View Abstract
    PreviousNext
    Back to top
    View this article with LENS
    Vol 26 Issue 2 Table of Contents
    • Table of Contents
    • Index by author
    Email

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on European Respiratory Society .

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    ECG for risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from European Respiratory Society
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the European Respiratory Society web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Print
    Citation Tools
    ECG for risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism
    D. Jimenez
    European Respiratory Journal Aug 2005, 26 (2) 366-367; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.05.00054805

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero

    Share
    ECG for risk stratification in patients with pulmonary embolism
    D. Jimenez
    European Respiratory Journal Aug 2005, 26 (2) 366-367; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.05.00054805
    del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Technorati logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Connotea logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
    Full Text (PDF)

    Jump To

    • Article
      • References
    • Info & Metrics
    • PDF
    • Tweet Widget
    • Facebook Like
    • Google Plus One

    More in this TOC Section

    • Clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis in India
    • Reply: Clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis in India
    • Risk factors for disease progression in fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis
    Show more Correspondence

    Related Articles

    Navigate

    • Home
    • Current issue
    • Archive

    About the ERJ

    • Journal information
    • Editorial board
    • Press
    • Permissions and reprints
    • Advertising

    The European Respiratory Society

    • Society home
    • myERS
    • Privacy policy
    • Accessibility

    ERS publications

    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS books online
    • ERS Bookshop

    Help

    • Feedback

    For authors

    • Instructions for authors
    • Publication ethics and malpractice
    • Submit a manuscript

    For readers

    • Alerts
    • Subjects
    • Podcasts
    • RSS

    Subscriptions

    • Accessing the ERS publications

    Contact us

    European Respiratory Society
    442 Glossop Road
    Sheffield S10 2PX
    United Kingdom
    Tel: +44 114 2672860
    Email: journals@ersnet.org

    ISSN

    Print ISSN:  0903-1936
    Online ISSN: 1399-3003

    Copyright © 2023 by the European Respiratory Society