PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Viktoria Oakden
AU  - Richard Cooper
AU  - Shi Lim
AU  - Mohit Inani
AU  - Rida Jameel
AU  - Tayyab Waseem
AU  - Mohamed Zahran
AU  - Zofirah Isiaka
AU  - Muhammad Ganaie
TI  - Follow-up of acute pulmonary embolism (PE): need for dedicated PE clinics and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings?
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA507
DP  - 2021 Sep 05
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA507
VI  - 58
IP  - suppl 65
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA507.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA507.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2021 Sep 05; 58
AB  - Background: PE is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines propose follow up for all PE patients 3-6 months after the acute event.Aims: To assess follow-up arrangements based on clinical risk and identify need for standardised care pathways.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients discharged with a diagnosis of acute PE from 25/01/19 to 31/07/19 at a UK teaching hospital. Obstetric patients and patients who died within 3 months were excluded from analysis. Risk was stratified using ESC guidelines and follow-up approach reviewed.Results: A total of 300 patients were included in analysis; 5 (2%) were high risk, 52 (17%) intermediate high risk, 154 (51%) intermediate low risk, 81 (27%) low risk and 8 (3%) not risk stratified. Overall, 194 patients (65%) were followed up. Median time to follow up was 69 days.The rates of follow up for high risk PE was 100%, intermediate high risk 69% (36/52), intermediate low risk 63% (97/154) and low risk 68% (55/81).There were 143 (48%) provoked PE and 157 (52%) unprovoked PE events. Follow up rate for provoked PE was 51% (73/143) and 77% (121/157) for unprovoked PE.Length of anticoagulation was reviewed in 163/194 (84%) patients, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension screening addressed in 126/194 (65%) and thrombophilia screening performed in 21/194 (11%).Conclusions: A significant proportion of higher risk and unprovoked PE patients were not followed up. A designated PE MDT comprising of physicians, haematologists and specialist nurses to discuss all discharges would allow clinicians to streamline post PE follow up and improve outcomes.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA507.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).