Outpatient Follow-up of Pulmonary Embolism: Putting It all Together

Abstract

Many patients discharged after an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) admission have inconsistent outpatient follow-up and insufficient workup for chronic complications of PE. A structured outpatient care program is lacking for the different phenotypes of chronic PE, such as chronic thromboembolic disease, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and post-PE syndrome. A dedicated PE follow-up clinic extends the organized, systematic care provided to patients with PE via the PERT (Pulmonary Embolism Response Team) model in the outpatient setting. Such an initiative can standardize follow-up protocols after PE, limit unnecessary testing, and ensure adequate management of chronic complications.

Keywords: Chronic thromboembolic disease; Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; Post-PE syndrome; Pulmonary embolism; Pulmonary embolism response team.