Diagnostic Tool |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Ventilation/perfusion scan |
|
|
|
CT pulmonary angiography |
|
May miss small peripheral emboli
Radiation exposure, particularly in young females
Contraindicated in renal insufficiency
|
|
Pulmonary angiography |
Gold standard
Generally diagnostic
|
|
|
Magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance pulmonary angiography |
|
May miss small peripheral emboli
Long duration of examination
May not be easily available
|
|
Therapy |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Unfractionated heparin (UFH) |
Short half-life
Reversal agent available
|
Continuous intravenous infusion
Unable to administer outside of medical setting
Possible development of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)
Frequent monitoring needed
Risk of bleeding
|
|
Low molecular weight heparin |
Easy to administer
Reversal agent available
|
Effectiveness uncertain in obese patients
Possible pain with administration
Difficult to achieve therapeutic levels in infants
Possible development of HIT (less than UFH)
Risk of bleeding
|
|
Warfarin |
|
|
|
Direct oral anticoagulant |
Oral
No frequent blood draws
|
|