Aims: Persistent, echocardiography-assessed right ventricle dysfunction (RVD) and/or pulmonary hypertension (PHT) are relatively frequent findings after an acute pulmonary embolism (PE). It has been suggested that echocardiography might predict long-term adverse events. Our objectives were to evaluate the prognostic value of RVD or isolated PHT 6 months after an acute PE with regard to all-cause mortality or venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence.
Methods and results: In a previous study, echocardiography was used to assess RVD or PHT on admission and 6 months after an acute PE in 101 consecutive, haemodynamically stable pulmonary patients. We assessed the subsequent vital status and incidence of recurrent VTE in these patients. Six patients were lost for follow-up. The other 95 patients were categorized as those (i) with RVD or PHT 6 months after PE (17 cases, 17.8%) and (ii) patients with neither RVD nor PHT (78 cases, 82.1%). After a mean±SD of 2.8±1.06 years, there were 9 (9.4%) deaths and 12 (12.6%) VTE recurrences. At multivariate analysis, only age predicted all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.081, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.003-1.166, P=0.004]. RVD or PHT persistence did not appear to increase the risk of mortality or recurrent VTE.
Conclusion: Persistent echocardiographic signs of right ventricular pressure overload 6 months after an acute PE did not predict long-term adverse outcome events in this study.