Cardiovascular risk stratification of pulmonary embolism.

Primary therapy (as opposed to secondary prevention with anticoagulation alone) is generally accepted for treatment of the relatively rare pulmonary embolism (PE) patient who presents with hypotension. Emerging evidence suggests that primary therapy should also be considered for the large group of PE patients who present with normal systemic arterial pressure plus moderate or severe right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiogram.