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Three Part Question

[In an asymptomatic patient with small subsegmental pulmonary embolism] does [anticoagulation therapy or no treatment] lead to [reduced mortality and a lower rate of recurrent venous thromboembolism?]

Clinical Scenario

A 49 year old male, who was previously fit and well, attended the Emergency Department as a trauma patient after being involved in a road traffic collision. He underwent whole-body computed tomography (CT) scanning and was found to have an incidental, sub-segmental pulmonary embolism (PE). You wonder whether this finding warrants anti-coagulation treatment as is protocol for larger, symptomatic pulmonary emboli, or whether the patient would have a similar outcome if they were to be discharged without treatment.

Search Strategy