Predicting Long-Term Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Role of RDW Levels

Abstract

Objective: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening cardiovascular emergency. PE long-term mortality data is scarce. Red cell distribution width (RDW) may predict PE mortality independently. This research examined the association between admission RDW and long-term mortality in acute PE patients. Material and Methods: A prospective registry-based cohort design was used in this investigation. Included were a total of 115 discharged individuals with acute PEThe documentation of clinical features, test data, cardiovascular risk factors, and comorbidities was conducted for patients who were observed for a median of 140 months (range: 2-168) to determine the occurrence of cardiovascular mortality. Results: The mean age of the patients was 62±16 years. After follow-up, 52 of 115 patients (45%) died from cardiovascular causes. Those who perished had greater RDW levels than those who survived [16.4±3.1 vs. 14.6±2.1%, p<0.001]. The optimum RDW threshold for predicting long-term mortality was >14.6% (AUC =0.704, 95% CI =0.608-0.808). Conclusion: Long-term mortality in PE patients was likely associated with elevated RDW levels..