Pulmonary Embolism in the Postanesthesia Care Unit: A Case Study Debbie Smith, BSN, RN, TNS, Jackie Murauski, MSN, APN, CCRN, CPAN Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 6-14 (February 2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.jopan.2015.12.016 Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses Terms and Conditions
Figure 1 Coagulation pathway. Modified from Rome,16 with permission. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing 2017 32, 6-14DOI: (10.1016/j.jopan.2015.12.016) Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses Terms and Conditions
Figure 2 Proposed diagnostic algorithm for patients with suspected high-risk PE, i.e. presenting with shock or hypotension. aIncludes the cases in which the patient's condition is so critical that it only allows bedside diagnostic tests. bApart from the diagnosis of RV dysfunction, bedside transthoracic echocardiography may, in some cases, directly confirm PE by visualizing mobile thrombi in the right heart chambers. Ancillary bedside imaging tests include transesophageal echocardiography, which may detect emboli in the pulmonary artery and its main branches, and bilateral compression venous ultrasonography, which may confirm deep vein thrombosis and thus be of help in emergency management decisions. cThrombolysis; alternatively, surgical embolectomy or catheter-directed treatment (Section 5). CT, computed tomographic; PE, pulmonary embolism; RV, right ventricular. Figure 1 from Konstantinides et al.,9 with permission. This figure is available in color online at www.jopan.org. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing 2017 32, 6-14DOI: (10.1016/j.jopan.2015.12.016) Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses Terms and Conditions