Template:PE clinical presentation

Revision as of 22:37, 19 April 2026 by DLBronstein (talk | contribs)

Symptoms

  • Dyspnea at rest or with exertion (75-80%)
  • Chest pain (66%)
    • Pleuritic pain, pain that halts respiration, is only seen in 20% of patients
  • Cough
  • Hemoptysis
  • Unilateral calf swelling
  • Syncope
    • Syncope is caused by PE <5% of the time

Signs

  • Tachycardia (HR>100), Tachypnea (RR>20), Hypoxemia (SpO2<95%) are seen ~50% of the time
  • Hypotension (SBP<90) only seen 10% of the time, but largest predictor of mortality
  • Unilateral calf tenderness or edema, suggestive of a DVT
  • Other signs may include accentuated pulmonic component of second heart sound, JVD, or decreased breath sounds