Point-of-care ultrasound in hemodynamically unstable pulmonary embolism

The recent American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on acute pulmonary embolism (PE) provide an updated evidence-based framework for the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of adults with PE. A major advance is the introduction of a five-category clinical severity classification, ranging from A to E. This classification aims to better align clinical presentation with prognostic assessment and therapeutic decision-making.

==> In critically ill patients, the key question may not be whether POCUS performs better than CTPA does, but whether bedside ultrasound can provide sufficient diagnostic confidence to justify timely action when definitive imaging is unsafe or unavailable.

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Other suggested references ;

• 2026 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ACEP/CHEST/SCAI/SHM/SIR/SVM/SVN Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults

• Incidence of Mortality and Complications in High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• High and intermediate risk pulmonary embolism in the ICU
  

Thanks to the authors.