Study on the Clinical Course Of Pulmonary Embolism

All patients enrolled in the study received a diagnosis of PE by means of chest CT scan, lung scanning or pulmonary angiography. All patients should undergo an echocardiographic examination during the acute phase of PE, when this is possible. All patients will be treated according to current international guidelines and local protocols. All surviving patients will receive an echocardiographic examination after 6 weeks and 6 months. All surviving patients will receive a perfusional pulmonary scintigraphy at 6 months and be subsequently followed up every 6 months for at least 3 years.

In case of clinical suspicion of VTE recurrence a diagnostic procedure will be performed in order to confirm the recurrent VTE episode ( Chest CT scan, lung scan, Pulmonary angiography, compressive ultrasound, phlebography, vein CT scan).

In case of clinical suspicion of CTEPH, a further diagnostic workup will be performed, consisting in echocardiography, ventilation/perfusion lung scanning, multidetector chest CT scanning, and pulmonary angiography, with direct measurement of the pulmonary-artery pressure.

The extension of pulmonary embolism during the acute phase will be graded according to a standardized scoring system by local investigators while the extension of chronic residual pulmonary embolism will be graded according to a standardized scoring system ( Meyer score) by both local investigators and an independent committee. All outcome events will be centrally adjudicated by an independent committee.

All clinical data ( initial data on medical history, clinical symptoms, presence of risk factors, diagnoses, diagnostic tests results, treatment type and duration, outcome events and other) will be collected by the local investigators in an electronic medical database. Related data will be sent to the coordinating centre on a regular basis. All recruiting centres will be regularly monitored by the coordinating Centre.