Editor’s Capsule Summary
What is already known on this topic
Outpatient treatment of acute pulmonary embolism in selected emergency department (ED) patients has been recommended as safe by multiple specialty societies but has not been widely adopted in practice.
What question this study addressed
Can emergency physicians identify low-risk patients with acute pulmonary embolism who can safely be discharged for outpatient treatment?
What this study adds to our knowledge
Among 2,387 ED patients treated at 21 hospitals, 7.5% were discharged home (range 0% to 14%). Major bleeding and recurrent thromboembolism were uncommon at follow-up, and 30-day mortality was 1.1%.
How this is relevant to clinical practice
Although performed before significant adoption of new direct oral anticoagulants, this retrospective study suggests that selected patients with acute pulmonary embolism may be treated as outpatients, with low risk of adverse outcomes.