A protocol stipulating close follow-up of patients after acute pulmonary embolism pays off with early detection of late complications or sequelae causing disability, researchers say.

In a study of more than a thousand patients treated for pulmonary embolism (PE) at 17 large-volume centres across Germany, the FOllow-up after aCUte pulmonary embolism Study (FOCUS), demonstrated early diagnosis and treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

In the study, the incidence of post-pulmonary embolism impairment (PPEI) was 16% and CTEPH was 1.6%.

“Since PE is a frequent disease and CTEPH is rare, it is neither feasible nor reasonable to perform a large number of time-consuming and expensive tests in every patient after the acute disease,” senior author Dr Stavros Konstantinides, of the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, said.