Risk factors analysis of sudden death in patients suspected with pulmonary thromboembolism in emergency room

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Objective To explore the correlative factors of sudden death in patients suspected with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in emergency room (ER). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted. The clinical data of 12 patients with sudden death suspected with PTE (sudden death group) in ER of the Air Force General Hospital from January 2011 to June 2014 were analyzed. The non-sudden death group included 35 patients during the same time period who were diagnosed with PTE based on findings of CT pulmonary arteriography (CTPA) and showed no sudden death in ER. Factors, including sex, age, previous operation, tumor, syncope, dyspnea, bilateral or unilateral edema of lower extremity, heart rate (HR), white blood cell count (WBC), D-dimer, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and typical clinical manifestation of electrocardiogram (SⅠTⅢQⅢ), were compared between the two groups. The potential predictors of sudden death of PTE were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results Young age (years old: 51.3±15.5 vs. 62.3±14.4), lower PaO2 [mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 49.9±12.3 vs. 62.7±10.2], higher HR (bpm: 122.0±19.5 vs. 89.1±18.5) and higher WBC (×109/L: 13.8±6.9 vs. 7.2±2.5) were found in sudden death group as compared with those in non-sudden death group (P 0.05]. The syncope, antineoplaston treatment or tumor metastasis within 6 months, operation in previous 4 months, bilateral asymmetrical edema in sudden death group were more than those of the non-sudden death group, and chest pain was less (P 0.05). It was shown by multiple logistic regression analysis that higher HR [odds ratio (OR) = 1.124, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.024-1.235, P = 0.014] and higher WBC (OR = 1.347, 95%CI = 1.043-1.738, P = 0.022) were identified as independent risk factors of sudden death for PTE. Conclusions Gender, dyspnea, typical SⅠTⅢQⅢ in electrocardiogram, PaCO2 and D-dimer seem unrelated to sudden death of patients with PTE. Young age, chest pain, syncope, bilateral asymmetrical edema, antineoplaston treatment or tumor metastasis within 6 months, operation in previous 4 months and low PaO2 were potential predictors of sudden death according to the univariate analysis. Higher WBC and higher HR are independent risk factors of sudden death for PTE patients. Key words: Pulmonary thromboembolism; Sudden death; CT pulmonary angiography