The prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism complicating sepsis and septic shock: a national inpatient sample analysis

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of pulmonary embolism in patients diagnosed with sepsis with and without shock. The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify adults with sepsis with and without shock between 2017 and 2019. The prevalence of acute pulmonary embolism and the association of acute pulmonary embolism with in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay for survivors, and overall costs of hospitalization were evaluated. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses, adjusted for various parameters, were used to explore these associations. Of the estimated 5,019,369 sepsis hospitalizations, 1.2% of patients with sepsis without shock and 2.3% of patients with septic shock developed pulmonary embolism. The odds ratio for in-hospital mortality was 1.94 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85–2.03, p < 0.001). The coefficient for hospital length of stay was 3.24 (95% CI 3.03–3.45, p < 0.001). The coefficient for total costs was 46,513 (95% CI 43,079–49,947, p < 0.001). The prevalence of pulmonary embolism in patients diagnosed with sepsis with and without shock was 1.2 and 2.3%, respectively. Acute pulmonary embolism was associated with higher in-hospital mortality, longer hospital length of stay for survivors, and higher overall costs of hospitalization.