Active clinical trials for "Pulmonary Embolism"

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in critically ill patients is common and often life threatening. The diagnosis of acute PE is often entertained in intensive care unit patients who develop unexplained hypotension or hypoxemia. Obtaining diagnostic confirmation of acute PE with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the chest (CT angiogram) may be difficult as patients are often too unstable for transport to the CT scanner or have renal insufficiency limiting the ability to receive intravenous contrast agents. Making or excluding the diagnosis of acute PE in these patients is critically important, as hemodynamic instability or right heart dysfunction, if due to PE, puts patients in the massive or submassive category and increased mortality risk. More aggressive therapies such as thrombolysis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or surgical embolectomy are often entertained. The investigators have previously described a case where endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) was employed in the diagnostic algorithm of suspected acute PE and significantly affected treatment recommendations. The investigators believe that, in these patients, use of EBUS to assess for thrombotic occlusion of the central pulmonary vasculature can fill a critical gap in the decision tree for management of these patients. EBUS has become part of the diagnostic approach in a number of clinical situations, including the workup and staging of suspected malignancy, unexplained lymphadenopathy, and diagnosis of mediastinal and parabronchial masses. There is strong evidence that EBUS is equivalent to mediastinoscopy in the mediastinal staging of lung cancer. The number of physicians skilled and experienced in performance of EBUS has increased dramatically, and training in the procedure is frequently obtained in a pulmonary fellowship. To our knowledge, there have been no prospective studies that investigate the use of EBUS as a tool for the diagnosis of acute central pulmonary embolism in critically ill patients where obtaining diagnostic confirmation of this diagnosis with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the chest is not safe or feasible.

Primary objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of closure strategies post venous access procedures. Hypothesis: We anticipate that the use of a venous closure device will decrease the time to hemostasis (TTH), time to ambulation (TTA) and time to discharge (TTD) compared to conventional methods of closure following venous access procedure.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy (6 months versus 18 months) with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) for cancer-associated low-risk pulmonary embolism patients. The major secondary purpose of this study is to investigate whether home treatment of cancer-associated low-risk pulmonary embolism patients with rivaroxaban is feasible, effective, and safe through an observational management study.

This project aims to evaluate a rehabilitation program as treatment and uncover potential pathophysiological mechanisms of a newly identified chronic condition named "Post Pulmonary Embolism Syndrome" (PPS).

This study aims to investigate a novel positron emission tomography(PET)-probe for imaging of fresh intravascular blood clots in pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Both, CT scans and VQ scans, are used by doctors to look for pulmonary embolism. The most common reason to order a VQ scan is to avoid the IV dye. The IV dye used for CT scans can cause kidney problems in some patients, called contrast-induced nephropathy or "CIN." This is a kidney problem that usually does not make patients feel any differently or change how they urinate. Most of the time, it can only be found by testing blood several days later. This kind of kidney problem can be very mild and some patients will never have any symptoms, rarely these problems can be severe. Some patients can also have similar kidney problems for many other reasons (reactions to medications, blood pressure problems, etc.) and can even happen in patients that do not get IV dye. That is why doctors are not sure exactly who will have these problems or if using a test that does not use IV dye can prevent this kidney problem. The VQ scan uses a different medication through the IV that is not IV dye and has not been linked to kidney problems. The purpose of this study is to learn if using the test that does not use IV dye (the "VQ scan") instead of a CT scan in some patients can help to prevent kidney problems.

Open and multicenter randomized clinical trial (1:1) comparing limited screening with extended screening with the performance of Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan in the search for neoplasms in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolic disease at high risk of developing cancer at follow-up. Introduction: Cancer screening in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is controversial. In the last years, a score has been developed that selects patients at high risk of developing cancer during follow-up. Objective: To estimate the impact of an active cancer search strategy using 18-fluordesoxiglucose (FDG) PET-CT in unprovoked VTE with high-risk to develop cancer. Specific Objectives: 1) Number of neoplasms diagnosed in the screening process: 2) number of neoplasms diagnosed at an early stage, 3) impact on survival of the strategy; and 4) impact on the quality of life. Cancer will be considered from 30 days up to 12 months after the diagnosis of VTE. Scope: 20 Spanish hospitals. Design: Open-label, multicentre Randomized clinical trial (1: 1) comparing the performance of PET-CT versus limited screening for cancer. Population: Patients older than 18 years with unprovoked VTE at high risk of presenting cancer at follow-up (≥3 points in the score of Jara-Palomares et al., Chest 2017). Follow-up: 12 months after VTE. Sample: The sample size calculated is 650 patients, to obtain a power of 80%, with a level of significance of 5%, and taking into account a 10% loss of follow-up.

Thromboprophylaxis for liver surgery can be commenced either preoperatively or postoperatively. Despite a clear trade-off between thrombosis and bleeding in liver surgery patients, there is no international consensus when thrombosis prophylaxis should be commenced in patients undergoing liver surgery. As far as we know, there are no prospective randomized trials in this field, and current guidelines are unfortunately based on very low quality evidence, that is, a few retrospective studies and expert opinion. Both American and European thromboprophylaxis guidelines for abdominal cancer surgery support the preoperative initiation of thromboprophylaxis, but these guidelines do not specifically address the increased bleeding risk associated with liver surgery. On the contrary, Dutch guidelines recommend postoperative thromboprophylaxis only, because of lack of evidence for preoperative thromboprophylaxis. Traditionally, many liver surgery units have been reluctant in using preoperative thromboprophylaxis due to the potentially increased risk of bleeding complications. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society Guidelines recommend preoperative thromboprophylaxis in liver surgery, but the guidelines provide no supporting evidence for this recommendation. Overall, the amount of evidence is scarce and somewhat contradictory in this clinically relevant field of thromboprophylaxis in liver surgery. The aim of this study is to compare pre- and postoperatively initiated thromboprophylaxis regimens in liver surgery in a randomized controlled trial.

This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity) of V/Q PET/CT for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), using CT pulmonary angiography as a reference standard.

CT scans of the chest / thorax are of great importance both in the initial diagnosis and in the follow-up of pulmonary or thoracic diseases. As an example, CT angiography of the pulmonary arteries (CTPA) is worldwide considered to be gold standard test in patients with a suspicion for pulmonary embolism. The aim of this study is to measure and compare dose efficiency of modern CT scanners for unenhanced and contrast-enhanced scan protocols of the chest/thorax. Patients who are referred for a CT of the chest/thorax will be randomly assigned to one of the three CT scanners currently in use at our institution.