A 35-year-old woman presents to the Emergency Room with sudden onset of breath associated with pleuritic chest pain. Which of the following is the most appropriate investigation to... A 35-year-old woman presents to the Emergency Room with sudden onset of breath associated with pleuritic chest pain. Which of the following is the most appropriate investigation to establish the diagnosis? A. D-dimer B. Echocardiography C. Chest CT angiography D. Ventilation-perfusion (VQ) scan
Understand the Problem
The question is asking which investigation is the most appropriate to establish the diagnosis for a patient with sudden onset of breathlessness and pleuritic chest pain. Several testing options are provided, and the goal is to determine the most suitable choice based on the clinical scenario described.
Answer
Chest CT angiography
The final answer is Chest CT angiography.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is Chest CT angiography.
More Information
Chest CT angiography (CTA) is the standard and most reliable method for diagnosing pulmonary embolism due to its ability to provide accurate and rapid results.
Tips
Common mistakes include choosing D-dimer, which is useful for ruling out PE but not for diagnosis, and echocardiography, which isn't the primary diagnostic tool in this context.
Sources
- Acute Pulmonary Embolism - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism in the Coronary Care Unit - PMC - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Imaging of acute pulmonary embolism: an update - Moore - cdt.amegroups.org
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