RSNA Session will Tackle Imaging for Pulmonary Embolism

If a patient is suspected of having a pulmonary embolism, should the patient undergo diagnostic imaging and if so, when?

An educational session at RSNA 2014 will discuss various risk assessments for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism and present decision trees to help physicians make the right call on whether to image and if so which modality should be used. In the United States, patients are referred for imaging far less often than in China or many European nations, with U.S. doctors often first conducting certain blood tests, says Linda Broyde Haramati, M.D., a radiologist at Montefiore Medical Center and session presenter.

Either way, imaging for pulmonary embolism often results in false positives or false negatives, Haramati adds. “That is why it is important to understand the nuances of imaging for pulmonary embolism, including the patient being evaluated and the strengths and weaknesses of different tests being used.”

The session, RC101B, “Optimizing Imaging Utilization,” is part of a multi-part series of presentations on pulmonary embolism starting at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 30 in Room S406B.