Irish journal of medical science
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Multicenter Study
The use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography in the diagnosis of heart failure in the acute setting.
Heart failure is a clinical diagnosis characterised by non-specific symptoms such as dyspnoea, fatigue and oedema. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate what role computed tomography pulmonary angiography could play in supporting a diagnosis of heart failure when a pulmonary embolism has been excluded. ⋯ Findings on CTPA which included left ventricular enlargement, left atrial enlargement and right ventricular enlargement were shown to be specific for a diagnosis of heart failure. CTPA should be used by physicians awaiting echocardiography to help guide treatment in cases of suspected heart failure.