Which test is invasive but highly accurate for diagnosing PE?

Which test is invasive but highly accurate for diagnosing PE?

• A. Pulmonary Angiography
• B. CT Angio
• C. V/Q scan
• D. CXR

Answer: (A)

Pulmonary angiography is the test that fits “invasive but highly accurate” for diagnosing PE. It involves threading a catheter into the pulmonary arteries and injecting contrast so the clot and any filling defects are seen directly on angiography. Because you’re visualizing the actual vessels and any obstructing emboli, this method has extremely high diagnostic accuracy, making it the historical reference standard. The trade-off is its invasiveness: it requires arterial access, contrast administration, and an interventional radiology setup, with risks such as bleeding, vessel injury, arrhythmias, contrast reactions or kidney effects, and radiation exposure. Because of these risks, it’s typically reserved for cases where noninvasive tests are inconclusive or when an intervention (like endovascular therapy) is being planned. Today, CT pulmonary angiography is usually used first due to being highly accurate while being noninvasive; other tests like V/Q scans or chest X-ray are less definitive for PE.

Pulmonary angiography is the test that fits “invasive but highly accurate” for diagnosing PE. It involves threading a catheter into the pulmonary arteries and injecting contrast so the clot and any filling defects are seen directly on angiography. Because you’re visualizing the actual vessels and any obstructing emboli, this method has extremely high diagnostic accuracy, making it the historical reference standard.

The trade-off is its invasiveness: it requires arterial access, contrast administration, and an interventional radiology setup, with risks such as bleeding, vessel injury, arrhythmias, contrast reactions or kidney effects, and radiation exposure. Because of these risks, it’s typically reserved for cases where noninvasive tests are inconclusive or when an intervention (like endovascular therapy) is being planned. Today, CT pulmonary angiography is usually used first due to being highly accurate while being noninvasive; other tests like V/Q scans or chest X-ray are less definitive for PE.