Hepatic venous Doppler assessment can anticipate simplified pulmonary embolism severity index and right ventricle dysfunction in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

PURPOSE: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a life-threating cardiothoracic thromboembolic emergency in which right ventricle dysfunction (RVD) is a major concern. In the present study, we examined the hepatic veins (HVs) blood flow with pulsed-wave spectral Doppler ultrasonography to determine its relationship with the simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI) and the patient's RVD status.

METHODS: We divided the 243 patients who met the inclusion criteria into two groups based on both their sPESI scores and their RVD status. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to evaluate the RVD and the HVs within 1 hour after patient admission. The liver was evaluated using subcostal and intercostal echocardiographic windows in grayscale B-mode, and HVs were assessed using color and spectral Doppler assessment though the same echocardiographic windows.

RESULT: A cut-off value of the systolic reverse flow velocity-time integral (SrVTI) = 2.2 cm carried a sensitivity and specificity of 84.29% and 74.89%, respectively, for the prediction of sPESI ≥ 1. A SrVTI cut-off value of 2.1 cm yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 83.03% and 73.91%, respectively, for the prediction of RVD.

CONCLUSION: HV Doppler assessment could be a useful method for anticipating the sPESI and the presence of RVD in patients with APE. In addition, it may provide information regarding the hemodynamic impact of APE.