Identification of those at risk after acute pulmonary embolism.

The authors reflect on the importance of the guidelines from the British Thoracic Society for the identification of those at risk after an acute pulmonary embolism. They argue that stratification of risk in patients who present with acute pulmonary embolism is less clear. They claim that manifestation of right ventricular dysfunction on either echocardiography or spiral high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning of the chest is an indicator of those requiring more treatment.