Clinical Research Directory

Pulmonary Embolism and Right-to-Left Shunts

Every fetus has a small hole in their heart, called a foramen ovale when they are developing in the womb. For most people this hole closes shortly after birth, but it doesn't close completely in 1 out of every 4 people. This is called a "patent" foramen ovale, or PFO. In people with a PFO it is possible for a blood clot in a vein to enter the heart, pass through the opening, and then go into an artery - this is referred to as a paradoxical embolism which passes through a "Right-to-Left Shunt," or RLS. If this occurs, the blood clot can cause a stroke. The most common RLS (more than 90%) is a PFO. Much rarer causes include other types of holes in the heart (like an atrial septal defect, or ASD), or a vascular communication in the lungs (like a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation, or AVM). We are investigating whether people with a PE are at higher risk of stroke if they happen to have an RLS compared to PE patients who don't have an RLS. This study will simply observe and compare the differences in stroke-related outcomes between those 2 groups. Participation in the study last roughly 90-days and includes the following activities: * The study team will review your medical records to collect general information such as your age, sex, race/ethnicity, height, weight, medications, medical history, and other medical information * Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of your brain will be done as soon as possible following your enrollment in the study. For more information on MRI scans, please see the "MRI scan" section below. * A Transcranial Doppler (TCD) with bubble study will be performed to determine if an opening is present in your heart or lungs. TCD is performed using ultrasound. A contrast called agitated saline will be injected into your vein for this test. * You will be asked to return for a follow-up visit 90 days after your pulmonary embolism. At this visit, the following will occur: 1. A second MRI of your brain will be performed. 2. You will complete a questionnaire to evaluate whether you may have had a stroke since being discharged from the hospital 3. You will meet with a member of the study team who will collect information about your health status.

Repeated Examinations for Typing Pulmonary Embolism

PURPOSE The two related purposes of the RE-TyPE study are: 1. To improve understanding of the early clinical course of intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism and its association with outcome and 2. To establish a platform for longitudinal follow-up for all pulmonary embolism at Sahlgrenska University Hospital HYPOTHESES 1. The dynamic pattern of change, evaluated thorough repeated measures of biomarkers, electrocardiography and echocardiography during the first 48 hours after pulmonary embolism, better predicts outcome than static measurements currently used to predict outcome 2. Establishment of a platform for longitudinal follow-up will improve quality of care and outcome for patients with pulmonary embolism at Sahlgrenska University Hospital

ULTRAsound-assisted Catheter-guided Thrombolysis for Intermediate-high Risk Patients With PE

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition and a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. While systemic thrombolysis is the standard treatment for high-risk PE, its bleeding risk limits use in some patients, highlighting the need for alternative reperfusion strategies such as catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT). This prospective study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of CDT using the EkoSonic Endovascular System (EKOS; Boston Scientific) in patients with intermediate-high and high-risk PE. The primary outcome is all-cause mortality through 360 days of follow-up, with secondary outcomes including changes in echocardiographic parameters such as the RV/LV diameter ratio.

Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of VTE Prevention Strategies in Gynecological Surgery

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a highly preventable but potentially fatal complication following gynecological surgery. The Caprini risk assessment model is widely used, but real-world evidence evaluating the net clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of different prophylaxis strategies (mechanical vs. pharmacological) in gynecological patients with Caprini score $\\ge$ 2 is still lacking. This study aims to evaluate the relative effectiveness of basic, mechanical, and pharmacological VTE prophylaxis strategies using a retrospective 1:3 matched nested case-control design. Furthermore, a decision tree model will be constructed to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of these strategies to provide health economic evidence for optimizing VTE management pathways in gynecology

Acostream Use in Patients With High Risk and Intermediate-risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism

The registry is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of catheter-directed aspiration for patients with high-risk and intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism using Acostream.

Ultrasound Assessment of Isolated Distal Deep Vein Thrombosis

Retrospective assessment of ultrasound and clinical characteristics of patients with IDDVT, development of a pulmonary embolism risk prediction model for thrombus, and provision of appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations.

VTEval Project - Prospective Cohort Studies to Evaluate and Improve Diagnostics, Management Strategies and Risk Stratification in VTE

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) with its two clinical manifestations deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening disease that is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The incidence of VTE increases with age and it - as the third most common cardiovascular disease after ischemic heart disease and stroke - represents an important public health problem in industrialized countries with several aspects in need to be addressed. VTEval Project includes three long-term prospective observational studies to evaluate and improve VTE diagnostics and management, treatment and outcome. The aims of the project include a systematic assessment of VTE, i.e. disease status (symptoms, clinical and subclinical aspects) and risk profiles (classic, psychosocial and environmental factors), using a system-oriented approach. VTEval collects three large prospective cohorts of patients with suspected and incident VTE consisting of individuals with a clinical suspicion of acute PE, individuals with a clinical suspicion of acute DVT, and individuals with incidental diagnosis of VTE). The standardized and harmonized data acquisition of the study establishes a sustainable resource for comprehensive research on VTE, thus providing the basis for both short- and long-term analysis.