The blood pressure looks reassuring, but is it telling the whole story? In acute pulmonary embolism (PE), the next few hours can matter as much as the first set of vital signs.

Behnood Bikdeli joins experts Jane Leopold, Lisa Moores, and Suresh Vedantham to unpack the 2026 AHA/ACC PE guidelines and put the new risk-stratification framework to work. With two patient cases and practical bedside insights, the panel explores who needs a closer watch, when to mobilize a response team, and how to stay ahead of a patient who may be heading in the wrong direction.

Episode chapters

00:00 The New PE Risk-Stratification Framework
06:21 Assessing Risk: Vital Signs, Biomarkers, Imaging, and Scores
11:22 Turning Risk Assessment Into Action: PERT, Monitoring, and Preparedness
18:47 Timing, Resources, and Transfer Decisions
21:59 Case 1: A Stable Presentation With Signs of RV Strain
27:32 Case 2: Transient Hypotension, Closer Monitoring, and Acute-on-Chronic Clues

Thank you to our sponsor, Penumbra, for their generous support of this podcast episode. All content was independently developed by Vasculearn Network and the expert panel.

What comes after risk assessment? Check out Part 2, where the panel weighs the evidence behind advanced therapies and tackles when—and how—to intervene.