A 32-year-old woman presents with pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath after a long-haul flight. She is tachycardic, mildly hypoxic and has no...

Question

A 32-year-old woman presents with pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath after a long-haul flight. She is tachycardic, mildly hypoxic and has no leg swelling. Wells score suggests intermediate probability of pulmonary embolism. According to standard Canadian practice, what is the most appropriate initial diagnostic test?

Accepted Answer

CT pulmonary angiography

Answer

Ventilation-perfusion scan as first-line in all patients

Answer

D-dimer alone without imaging

Answer

Lower-limb venous ultrasound only

Answer

Echocardiogram to exclude right heart strain

ca-mccqe1 MCQ (SBA): Pulmonary embolism diagnosis