Out of Hospital Treatment of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with a Low NT-ProBNP Level.

NT-proBNP is emerging to be of great importance in risk assessment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), by identifying both high and low-risk patients. The aim of the present management study was to investigate the safety of out of hospital treatment of patients with acute PE based on a NT-proBNP < 500 pg/ml.

Hemodynamically stable outpatients with objectively diagnosed acute PE and a NT-proBNP level < 500 pg/ml, were considered eligible for participation in this multicenter prospective study. Patients were discharged immediately from the emergency room or within the first 24 hours of admission. The primary objective was the 10-days mortality rate. Secondary objectives were the incidence of re-admission to hospital due to PE or its treatment, the patient's satisfaction during the first ten days of treatment and the incidence of serious adverse events in a 3-month follow-up period.

Approximately 40 percent of all patients presenting at the emergency room with acute PE fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In total, 152 patients (mean age 53.4 ± 14.3 years; 51% female) with PE were treated as outpatients. No deaths, major bleedings or recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred during the first 10 days or in a follow-up period of 3 months. Seven patients required readmission. Three patients were admitted because of complaints of their PE: two patients with anxiety and pain and one patient with dyspnoea and low oxygen saturation. There were no signs of progression of PE in these 3 patients. Four patients were re-admitted because of an illness unrelated to PE. According to the PSQ18 and anxiety score, patients were satisfied with their out of hospital treatment; they had no progression of anxiety during the first ten days of treatment.

Out of hospital treatment is safe in a group of low risk patients with non-massive PE, based on NT-proBNP levels < 500 pg/ml. Approximately 40 percent of PE-patients can be treated in an outpatient setting. Patients consider out of hospital treatment as comfortable and have no increase in anxiety scores.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.