Pulmonary embolism in mechanically ventilated patients: What the eye doesn't see, the heart can still grieve over.

The author comments on the results of a study that determines the rate of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit and who needed computed tomography screening with iodinated contrast medium. The study also investigates the linked between PE and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and identifies risk factors for venous thromboembolism. He notes that DVT could not be diagnosed in 22 out of 33 patients with PE.