Risk of early clinical deterioration and 30-day mortality in pulmonary embolism intermediate–high-risk patients with patent foramen ovale

We assess the prognostic role of patent foramen ovale (PFO) for the estimation of 30-day mortality and risk of 48-h clinical deterioration since admission, in intermediate–high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients. A post-hoc analysis of intermediate–high-risk PE patients enrolled in the Italian Pulmonary Embolism Registry (IPER) (Trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01604538) was performed. The entire cohort was divided according to the presence or absence of PFO after transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation. Among 450 intermediate–high-risk PE patients (mean age 71.4 ± 13.8 years, 298 males), PFO was diagnosed in 68 (15.1