Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third leading cardiovascular cause of death after heart attacks and stroke. PE is caused by blood clots in the pulmonary arteries. These are often caused by clots from the venous system, including thrombus from trauma, surgery or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Treatment has traditionally been systemic use of thrombolytic drugs to dissolve the clot. But in cases there is a massive, life-threatening PE, or chronic clot burden that have remained in a vessel for an extended period of time, mechanical thrombectomy and ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USCDT) is being used as more targeted and aggressive treatments.

CDS leads to reduction in CPTA imaging for pulmonary embolism

The use of evidence-based clinical decision support (CDS) results in a significant reduction in CT pulmonary angiographic imaging in patients suspected of having a pulmonary embolism, according to a study published online in Radiology. 

Additional MR Techniques Improve Detection of Pulmonary Embolism

According a study published in the March issue of the journal Radiology, radiologists now have a comparable, non-ionizing option to CT for the detection of pulmonary embolism.

Around the web

Prior to the final proposal’s release, the American College of Radiology reached out to CMS to offer its recommendations on payment rates for five out of the six the new codes.

“Before these CPT codes there was no real acknowledgment of the additional burden borne by the providers who accepted these patients."

The new images were captured at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility using hierarchical phase-contrast tomography. One specialist called them "Google Earth for the human heart." 

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