Features Of Pulmonary Embolism Research Articles

Has the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Played a Role in the Early Detection of Pulmonary Embolism in Children?

Pulmonary embolism (PE) poses a significant threat to children, and nonspecific symptoms lead to delayed diagnosis. The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased the complexity as it is associated with similar symptoms and increased risk of thrombotic complications. This study aimed to assess the risk factors, clinical presentations, and diagnostic features of PE in pediatric patients and to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with PE. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study examining the clinical and diagnostic data of 44 pediatric patients with radiologically confirmed PE. The study compared and analyzed patients diagnosed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the study, 21 of 44 pediatric patients were diagnosed in the 4 years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 23 were diagnosed with PE during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean time to diagnosis was 8 (2 to 14) days before the pandemic and 1 (1 to 2) days during the pandemic ( P < 0.001). The most common associated condition in both groups was infection (65.9%). Dyspnea (65.9%) and tachypnea (50.0%) were common symptoms. Except for deep vein thrombosis, there were no significant differences according to associated conditions between the groups ( P = 0.001). Pulmonary emboli were anatomically detected using computed tomography angiography, showing bilateral involvement in 45.4% of patients, segmental artery involvement in 38.6%, and main artery involvement in 15.9%. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened suspicion of pediatric PE and accelerated diagnosis. Standardized diagnostic guidelines are increasingly necessary to balance accurate diagnosis with avoiding excessive imaging.

Trivial Complaint in an Eisenmenger Syndrome Patient: A Case Report

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening cardiorespiratory condition. Shortness of breath and cyanosis in an active daily living patient with Eisenmenger Syndrome (ES) obscuring the early diagnosis of acute PE. We reported a case of a 41-year-old lady with underlying Eisenmenger syndrome presented to Emergency Department with sudden onset of palpitation. Otherwise, she did not complain of any worsening shortness of breath or reduced effort tolerance. Compensation of the heart causing normalization of the blood pressure in ES may mask the features of massive PE and make it more challenging in managing this kind of patient. However, with the complaint of acute onset palpitation trigger the managing team to think about PE. Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) had done, and there were significant blood clots in the right main pulmonary artery. Luckily, she survived after thrombolytic therapy, warded a few days, and discharge well with a life-long oral anticoagulant.

Clinical features of pulmonary embolism in patients with previous recent COVID-19 infection

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the most significant thromboembolic complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several studies have demonstrated the clinical features of PE in patients in the acute phase of COVID-19. The features of the course of PE diagnosed after an acute infection have not been sufficiently studied.&#x0D; AIM: To study the clinical picture of PE that occurred within 3 months after COVID-19.&#x0D; METHODS: A retrospective study was completed. Patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of PE between January 2020 and December 2021. Two subgroups were formed: with a history of recent (up to 3 months) COVID-19 infection and without a history of COVID-19.&#x0D; RESULTS: Of the 278 patients hospitalized with PE, 44 had anamnesis of COVID-19, and 69 had no anamnesis of infection. In the remaining 165 patients with PE, determining the presence or absence of a history of COVID-19 was impossible. In the analysis of the clinical picture and examination results of 44 patients with COVID-19, distal localization of thrombotic lung lesions was predominant, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities was lower, and right heart lesions were noted. A tendency toward the presence of diabetes mellitus, anemia, and thrombocytopenia was found.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: Patients with PE and history of COVID-19 have features of clinical presentation. The identified signs are consistent with the results of studies that have evaluated the course and clinical signs of PE in the acute period of COVID-19. Similar manifestations may indicate a significant effect of COVID-19 on PE signs both during and after the acute period of COVID-19. Clinical features were determined by the severity of the previous infection.

An efficient machine learning framework to identify important clinical features associated with pulmonary embolism.

A misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) can have severe consequences such as disability or death. It's crucial to accurately identify key clinical features of PE in clinical practice to promptly identify potential PE patients who may present asymptomatically, and to prevent misdiagnosing PE as asthma exacerbation in patients with symptoms like dyspnea or chest pain. However, reliably identifying these important features can be challenging due to many factors influencing the likelihood of PE development in complex fashions (e.g., the interactions among these factors). To address this difficulty, we presented an effective framework using the deep neural network (DNN) model and the permutation-based feature importance test (PermFIT) procedure, i.e., PermFIT-DNN. We applied the PermFIT-DNN framework to the analysis of data from a PE study for asthma exacerbation patients. Our analysis results show that the PermFIT-DNN framework can robustly identify key features for classifying PE status. The important features identified can also aid in accurately predicting the PE risk.

Homoeopathy in Clotting

The current article discusses clotting through Pulmonary Embolism (PE), thereafter, it delves in to the epidemiology of PE, its clinical features, management &amp; finally the application of homoeopathy to deal with this issue. It concludes with the cost effectiveness &amp; therapeutic effectiveness of the homoeopathic system of medicine &amp; suggests its involvement on a large scale in the nation. It only reinforces the age old concept of managing these chronic conditions through diet, regimen, exercise &amp; homoeopathy. The suggestion of large scale use of homoeopathy is based on the premise of the modalities of essential medicines. The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) envisages that a medicine can be called essential only if it is cost effective, clinically effective &amp; has no side effects. Homoeopathy fits into this triad fully. The article also suggests a treatment protocol based on the typical clinical features of PE &amp; aspires that the public benefits from the protocol at large.

Indexing of Speckle Tracking Longitudinal Strain of Right Ventricle to Body Surface Area Does Not Improve Its Efficiency in Diagnosis and Mortality Risk Stratification in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with a serious mortality rate. Thus, the rapid diagnosis and identification of patients at high risk of death is pivotal. The search for echocardiographic parameters for this purpose continues. Recent publications reveal correlations between myocardial longitudinal strain (LS) and body surface area (BSA). The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of indexing the right ventricular (RV) speckle tracking LS to BSA in detecting PE and stratifying the risk of 30-day all-cause mortality. the prospective cross-sectional observational study group consisted of 167 consecutive patients (76 men, 45.5%) aged 69.5 ± 15.3 years, and they were referred for computed tomography pulmonary angiography. Patients underwent a transthoracic echocardiographic examination within 24 h of admission to the hospital ward. RVLS and their derivatives indexed to BSA were included in the analysis. PE was confirmed in 88 patients, while 79 patients had no radiological features of PE. The only echocardiographic parameters that differed between subgroups were pulmonary flow acceleration (Act), McConnell's sign, LS of the middle segment of the RV free wall, and its derivative indexed to BSA. During the 30-day follow-up of a subgroup of subjects with PE, 12 patients died. The mortality predictors with increasing prediction value included a RV free wall mid-segment LS (cut-off value: -21%, Area Under the Curve-AUC 0.6, p = 0.02) and its derivative indexed to BSA (-14 %/m2, AUC 0.62, p = 0.003), body mass index (24.7 kg/m2, AUC 0.63, p = 0.002), D-dimer serum concentration (3559 pg/mL, AUC 0.66, p < 0.001), Act (67 ms, AUC 0.67, p < 0.001), septal basal LS (-15%, AUC 0.68, p = 0.02), RV free wall basal segment LS (-14%, AUC 0.7, p = 0.015), age (66 years, AUC 0.74, p = 0.004), NT-proBNP (1120 pg/mL, AUC 0.75, p = 0.01), troponin T (66 ng/mL, AUC 0.78, p = 0.005), and the complex score of the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (AUC 0.88, p < 0.001). indexing of RVLS to BSA does not improve its prognostic value in patients with acute PE.

Signs and symptoms of acute pulmonary embolism and their predictive value for all-cause hospital death in respect of severity of the disease, age, sex and body mass index: retrospective analysis of the Regional PE Registry (REPER)

BackgroundThe incidence of the signs and symptoms of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) according to mortality risk, age and sex has been partly explored.Patients and methodsA total of 1242 patients diagnosed...

Quality of life 1 month after acute pulmonary embolism in emergency department patients.

The Pulmonary Embolism Quality-of-Life (PEmb-QoL) questionnaire assesses quality of life (QoL) after pulmonary embolism (PE). We aimed to determine whether any clinical or pathophysiologic features of PE were associated with worse PEmb-QoL scores 1 month after PE. In this prospective multicenter registry, we conducted PEmb-QoL questionnaires. We determined differences in QoL domain scores for four primary variables: clinical deterioration (death, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, hypotension requiring fluid bolus, catecholamine support, or new dysrhythmia), right ventricular dysfunction (RVD), PE risk stratification, and subsequent rehospitalization. For overall QoL score, we fit a multivariable regression model that included these four primary variables as independent variables. Of 788 PE patients participating in QoL assessments, 156 (19.8%) had a clinical deterioration event, 236 (30.7%) had RVD of which 38 (16.1%) had escalated interventions. For those without and with clinical deterioration, social limitations had mean (±SD) scores of 2.07 (±1.27) and 2.36 (±1.47), respectively (p= 0.027). For intensity of complaints, mean (±SD) scores for patients without RVD (4.32 ± 2.69) were significantly higher than for those with RVD with or without reperfusion interventions (3.82 ± 1.81 and 3.83 ± 2.11, respectively; p= 0.043). There were no domain score differences between PE risk stratification groups. All domain scores were worse for patients with rehospitalization versus without. By multivariable analysis, worse total PEmb-QoL scores with effect sizes were subsequent rehospitalization 11.29 (6.68-15.89), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 8.17 (3.91-12.43), and longer index hospital length of stay 0.06 (0.03-0.08). Acute clinical deterioration, RVD, and PE severity were not predictors of QoL at 1 month post-PE. Independent predictors of worsened QoL were rehospitalization, COPD, and index hospital length of stay.

КЛИНИКО-ЛАБОРАТОРНЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ТРОМБОЭМБОЛИИ ЛЁГОЧНОЙ АРТЕРИИ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ С КОРОНАВИРУСНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИЕЙ SARS-COV-2 И АБДОМИНАЛЬНЫМ ОЖИРЕНИЕМ

Background. At the present time more than 185 million people are infected with the new coronavirus infection (CVI) SARS-CoV-2, which caused COVID-19 pandemic according to WHO. The issue of increased risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) and associated severe course of the disease in persons with abdominal obesity (AO) is actively discussed in national and foreign publications. Objective of the study. To determine the clinical and laboratory features of PE in patients with abdominal obesity infected with SARS-CoV-2 Material and Methods. An analysis of 11.056 medical records of inpatients treated in the infectious disease departments for patients with COVID-19 of the 4th City Clinical Hospital named after N.E. Savchenko of Minsk during the period from April 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 was performed. AO in subjects included in the retrospective analysis was determined according to WHO criteria as a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2, waist circumference greater than 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women, respectively. To determine clinical and laboratory features of PE, as well as the effect of AO on the severity of this complication, inclusion/exclusion/exclusion criteria were developed and a sample of medical records of patients with COVID-19 (n=33), whose diagnosis of PE was verified by computed tomographic angiography of the chest (CTA chest) was formed. Clinical and instrumental parameters and laboratory characteristics were analyzed in the studied groups at the moment of admission to the hospital and at the time of PE development. Results. According to the results of a retrospective analysis of 11 056 medical records, the proportion of patients in whom the final diagnosis of PE was present was 3.68% (n=407), among whom AO was observed in 22.11% (n=90) of patients. The prevalence of subjects with impaired lipid metabolism among those included in the analysis was 11.38% (n=1259). PE developed in 90 patients with CVI and AO (0.81%) and in 317 patients without AO (2.87%). The prevalence of patients with PE (n=90) in the CVI and AO group (n=1259) was 7.15%; among those with CVI without AO (n=9797) - 3.24% (n=317). In the formed group with AO, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen levels at hospitalization were higher than in the group of patients without AO: 116.64 (80.38-134.08) mg/L versus 30.21 (15.11-57.21) mg/L (U=36.04; p&lt;0.01) and 6.97 (6.11 to 8.03) g/L versus 4.71 (4.02 to 5.59) g/L (U=12.0, p&lt;0.01) respectively. On the day of suspected PE, CRP levels were higher in the group of patients with AO and COVID-19 than in the group of patients without AO: 71.01 (50.59-105.06) mg/L versus 34.01 (18.85-60.81) mg/L (U=49.00; p&lt;0.05). In patients with CVI and PE, there was a moderate positive relationship between the presence of AO and the severe course of COVID-19 (r=0.41; p&lt;0.05), AO and elevated fibrinogen levels on admission to the hospital (r=0.58 p &lt;0.05), a strong positive relationship between the presence of AO and increased serum CRP level at the time of hospitalization (r = 0.76; p &lt; 0.01), a moderate positive relationship between AO and CRP level determined at the time of development of PE (r = 0.51; p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion. Among the patients with COVID-19 and AO complicated by the development of PE in comparison with patients without AR was determined a higher prevalence of individuals with a severe course of CVI (χ2=5,18; p&lt;0.05), lower oxygen saturation values at admission and at the time of PE development (U =46.5; p&lt;0.05) and (U=49.5; p&lt;0.05), respectively, higher fibrinogen and CRP levels at the time of hospitalization (U=12.0; p&lt;0.01) and (U=36.04; p&lt;0.01), respectively, higher CRP values at the manifestation of PE (U=49.00; p&lt;0.05). The obtained data indicates in favor of the fact that AO can be considered as a risk factor for the severe course of COVID-19. The pathophysiological basis of the development, course and prognosis of thromboembolic complications in patients with COVID-19 and AO requires further clarification during prospective follow-up of this category of patients.

Trends in Incidence, and Mortality of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the United States Emergency Department (2010–2018)

Literature regarding trends of incidence, mortality, and complications of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the emergency departments (ED) is limited. What are trends of COPD exacerbation in ED? Data were obtained from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) that constitutes a 20% sample of hospital-owned EDs and inpatient sample in the US. All ED encounters were included in the analysis. Complications of AECOPD were obtained by using ICD codes. Out of 1.082 billion ED encounters, 5,295,408 (mean age 63.31 ± 12.63 years, females 55%) presented with COPD exacerbation. Among these patients, 353,563(6.7%) had AECOPD-plus (features of pulmonary embolism, acute heart failure and/or pneumonia) while 4,941,845 (93.3%) had exacerbation without associated features or precipitating factors which we grouped as AECOPD. The AECOPD-plus group was associated with statistically significantly higher proportion of cardiovascular complications including AF (5.6% vs 3.5%; p < 0.001), VT/VF (0.14% vs 0.06%; p < 0.001), STEMI (0.22% vs 0.11%; p < 0.001) and NSTEMI (0.65% vs 0.2%; p < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality rates were greater in the AECOPD-plus population (0.7% vs 0.1%; p < 0.001). The incidence of both AECOPD and AECOPD-plus had worsened (p-trend 0.004 and 0.0003) and the trend of mortality had improved (p-trend 0.0055 and 0.003, respectively). The prevalence of smoking for among all COPD patients had increased (p-value 0.004), however, the prevalence trend of smoking among AECOPD groups was static over the years 2010–2018. There was an increasing trend of COPD exacerbation in conjunction with smoking; however, mortality trends improved significantly. Moreover, the rising burden of AECOPD would suggest improvement in diagnostics and policy making regarding management.

The clinical features and management of pulmonary embolism at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most common cause of preventable deaths in hospitalised patients. Objectives To determine the prevalence and associated features of PE at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) over a period of one year. Methods A retrospective study was performed of patients with acute PE, as confirmed by computed tomography of the pulmonary arteries (CTPA). Results A total of 498 CTPAs were requested during the study period. PE was confirmed in 147 (30%) of these cases. The mean age of the patients with PE was 46.8 (15.5) years. More than 40% of the patients with PE were HIV positive, of whom more than 60% had a CD4 count <200 cells/µL. Wells’ and revised Geneva scores indicated comparable clinical probability of PE. Only 15% of the patients with highrisk PE were thrombolysed, with no documented complications. There were clear contraindications for thrombolysis in only two cases, but no reasons were stated for the other cases where thrombolysis was not utilised. None of the patients had a surgical or percutaneous embolectomy. A mortality rate of 24% was found among patients diagnosed with a PE; of these, 13 (46%) presented with high-risk PE and 2 were thrombolysed. Age >40 years was the only significant predictor of mortality, as indicated by both univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusion PE is a common medical condition at CHBAH. The heavy infectious disease burden in the South African setting makes the diagnosis of PE challenging. Its management needs further optimisation to improve clinical outcomes.

CT pulmonary angiography in lower limb arthroplasty: A retrospective review of 11 249 patients over 11 years.

The aims of this study were to determine the indications and frequency of ordering a CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) following primary arthroplasty of the hip and knee, and to determine the number of positive scans in these patients, the location of emboli and the outcome for patients undergoing CTPA. We analyzed the use of CTPA, as an inpatient and up to 90 days as an outpatient, in a cohort of patients and reviewed the medical records and imaging for each patient undergoing CTPA. Out of 11 249 patients, scans were requested in 229 (2.04%) and 86 (38%) were positive. No patient undergoing CTPA died within 90 days. The rate of mortality from pulmonary embolism (PE) overall was 0.08%. CTPA was performed twice as often following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared with total hip arthroplasty (THA), and when performed was twice as likely to be positive. Hypoxia was the main indication for a scan, being the indication in 149 scans (65%); and in 23% (11 of 47), the PE was peripheral and unilateral. Three patients suffered complications resulting from therapeutic anticoagulation for possible PE, two of whom had a negative CTPA. CTPA is more likely to be performed following TKA compared with THA. Hypoxia was the main presenting feature of PE. A quarter of PEs which were diagnosed were unilateral and peripheral. Further study may indicate which patients who have a PE after lower limb arthroplasty require treatment, and which can avoid the complications associated with anticoagulation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:938-44.

Clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of South-East Asian patients with acute pulmonary embolism

BackgroundThe clinical features of acute PE have not been well studied in South-East Asia. We therefore sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in our region. MethodsFrom January 2008 to March 2013, 343 patients were admitted to our tertiary institution with acute PE. Data were collected retrospectively on baseline clinical characteristics, presenting signs and symptoms, results of electrocardiographic and imaging studies, therapeutic modality and hospital course. Results91% of the patients presented with submassive PE. 6.1% of patients had saddle PE. The most common presenting symptom was dyspnea (72.3%) followed by chest pain (12.8%), hemoptysis (2.6%), syncope (2.6%) and cardiovascular collapse (1.2%).Risk factors for PE were idiopathic cause (33.5%), immobilization (21%), malignancy (6.1%) and hypercoagulable state (2.9%).The overall in-hospital mortality was 5%. Factors associated with mortality were massive PE, tachycardia at presentation, right ventricular dysfunction and cardiogenic shock. Bleeding complications occurred in 10.2% of patients (major bleeding in 3.5%). ConclusionAcute PE in the South-East Asian patients is associated with an overall mortality rate of 5%. The bleeding complications from treatment are also high.

Massive Pulmonary Embolism In A Postpartum Case of Caesarean Section A Case Report

Introduction : The overall incidence of acute pulmonary embolism is 0.004% per year1; among post-partum women, the incidence of venous thromboembolism is approximately 3 to 7 every 10,000 deliveries, which is 15 to 35 times that of females of the same age who are not pregnant2. Venous thromboembolism contributes to 20% of pregnancy-related mortalities. The highest risk is in the puerperium3. Thrombolysis is standard of care in pulmonary thromboembolism with shock and right ventricular hypokinesia4-7, however, immediate postoperative state compels conventional treatment. Patients do well with anticoagulation and proper supportive treatment as illustrated in this case.Case report : We report a case of a 34-year old female who developed sudden onset breathlessness while walking on the 2nd post-operative day of an uneventful caesarean section. She was dyspneic, cyanosed and in hypotension. CXR was normal, ECG showed S1Q3T3 pattern, and d-dimer was raised. CTPArevealed features of pulmonary embolism. Thrombolysis was contemplated but was abandoned in view of recent surgery. She received anticoagulation with Heparin (and later warfarin) and supportive care including intravenous fluids, oxygen and Dopamine and Doubutamine. She improved and was discharged after 10 days on warfarin anticoagulation.Conclusion: Breathlessness in a patient in the post-operative period or pregnancy should lead to the possibility of pulmonary thromboembolism. PTE with hypotension or RV hypokinesia has a high mortality, merits thrombolysis plus anticoagulation. But patients with contraindication to thrombolysis should receive anticoagulation and standard supportive care. JMS 2016; 19(2):90-94.

Clinical Features of Acute Massive Pulmonary Embolism Complicated by Radiofrequency Ablation: An Observational Study.

Although pulmonary embolism (PE) complicated by radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is rare, it can be life-threatening. Our goal was to elucidate the clinical features of acute massive PE after RFCA.Of 2386 patients who underwent RFCA for supraventricular tachycardia or idiopathic ventricular arrhythmia, 4 patients (0.16%) whose cases were complicated by acute massive PE were examined.These 4 patients were female and middle-aged (range 43–52 years), and 2 of the 4 patients had iron-deficiency anemia and reactive thrombocytosis. Ablation in all patients was performed in the left heart via the right femoral arterial approach. All of the patients had a long-duration hemostasis procedure and bed rest following femoral arterial sheath removal after RFCA. All of the patients collapsed and lost consciousness during their first attempt at walking after RFCA. The emergent electrocardiogram in 2 of the 4 patients revealed an S1Q3T3 pattern, 1 patient demonstrated new onset of right bundle-branch block (RBBB) and S1Q3 pattern and Qr pattern in V1, and the remaining patient had negative T waves in leads V1, V2, and III. The emergent echocardiogram revealed right ventricular hypokinesis and pulmonary hypertension in the 4 patients with acute PE after ablation. Although all of the patients initially experienced sinus tachycardia when they recovered consciousness, 2 of the 4 patients suddenly developed intense bradycardia and lost consciousness again, and these patients finally died (50% fatality rate). All of the patients were identified by CT pulmonary angiography or pulmonary angiography.Our report suggests that although acute massive PE is highly rare, there is a real and fatal risk in patients who experienced acute massive PE after RFCA. Particular attention should be paid to the first ambulation after RFCA. Acute PE should be strongly suspected when sudden loss of consciousness occurs upon mobilization after RFCA. The new onset of S1Q3T3 pattern, RBBB or T wave inversion in the right precordial leads, and early detection of echocardiographic right ventricular dysfunction may be useful for making an early diagnosis of acute PE after RFCA. Early ambulation after left-sided RFCA might be helpful to prevent the formation of deep venous thrombosis and subsequent PE.

Reproducibility of Pretest Assessment in Suspected Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of mortality in North America. Prompt recognition and treatment of PE with anticoagulant therapy reduces the risk of mortality from 30% to 1.5%. Unfortunately, timely diagnosis of PE can be difficult because the clinical features of PE, such as chest pain and rapid heart rate, are not unique to PE. Although clinical assessment alone cannot confirm or exclude PE, it can be used to stratify patients according to their likelihood of having PE before diagnostic tests are performed (ie, pretest probability). This paper will review the role of clinical assessment in the diagnosis of PE, provide an overview of validated clinical prediction rules for PE, and discuss the reproducibility of clinical pretest probability assessment in suspected PE.

A cohort study on the incidence and outcome of pulmonary embolism in trauma and orthopedic patients

BackgroundThis study aims to determine the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in trauma and orthopedic patients within a regional tertiary referral center and its association with the pattern of injury, type of treatment, co-morbidities, thromboprophylaxis and mortality.MethodsAll patients admitted to our institution between January 2010 and December 2011, for acute trauma or elective orthopedic procedures, were eligible to participate in this study. Our cohort was formed by identifying all patients with clinical features of PE who underwent Computed Tomography-Pulmonary Angiogram (CT-PA) to confirm or exclude the clinical suspicion of PE, within six months after the injury or the surgical procedure.Case notes and electronic databases were reviewed retrospectively to identify each patient’s venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk factors, type of treatment, thromboprophylaxis and mortality.ResultsOut of 18,151 patients admitted during the study period only 85 (0.47%) patients developed PE (positive CT-PA) (24 underwent elective surgery and 61 sustained acute trauma). Of these, only 76% of the patients received thromboprophylaxis. Hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease were the most commonly identifiable risk factors. In 39% of the cases, PE was diagnosed during the in-hospital stay. The median time of PE diagnosis, from the date of injury or the surgical intervention was 23 days (range 1 to 312). The overall mortality rate was 0.07% (13/18,151), but for those who developed PE it was 15.29% (13/85). Concomitant deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was identified in 33.3% of patients. The presence of two or more co-morbidities was significantly associated with the incidence of mortality (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.34, 18.99), P = 0.034). Although there was also a similar clinical effect size for polytrauma injury on mortality (unadjusted OR = 1.90 (0.38, 9.54), P = 0.218), evidence was not statistically significant for this factor.ConclusionsThe incidence of VTE was comparable to previously reported rates, whereas the mortality rate was lower. Our local protocols that comply with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines in the UK appear to be effective in preventing VTE and reducing mortality in trauma and orthopedic patients.

Normal blood D-dimer concentrations: do they exclude pulmonary embolism?

Background Although pulmonary embolism (PE) with normal blood D-dimer (DD) concentrations is considered rare, in practice the incidence may be greater than is generally believed. Overlooking PE is potentially dangerous. The aim of this study was to explore the incidence and clinical features of PE with normal DD concentrations. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the records of 29 patients with PE and normal DD concentrations from the past seven years. We here compare relevant clinical characteristics of these patients with those of patients with PE and abnormal DD concentrations. We evaluated the probabilities of differences by computing pretest probability scores (Wells score and revised Geneva score). Results The frequency of normal DD concentrations in patients with PE was 4%. Previous episode(s) of PE were more common in patients with normal DD concentrations than in those with abnormal DD concentrations (P=0.001). Fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea occurred less frequently in the former group (P&lt;0.05) and time between onset of symptoms and DD testing was longer (P=0.001). The diagnosis of PE was delayed in 22 of the 29 cases. Nineteen and seven cases with normal DD concentrations were classified according to pretest scores as intermediate and low risk, respectively. Conclusions PE with normal DD concentrations is uncommon. Although most diagnoses of PE are ruled out by normal DD values, a small number of cases with PE are missed. A combination of pretest probability score and normal DD concentration increases the probability of making the correct diagnosis, but cannot completely exclude patients with suspected PE. When the clinical manifestations cannot be otherwise explained, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of PE with normal DD concentrations in patients with previous episode(s) of PE or a long interval between onset of symptoms and DD testing.

Particularités cliniques de l’embolie pulmonaire chez la personne âgée : étude comparative de 64 patients

PurposeTo date only a few studies regarding pulmonary embolism (PE) in elderly have been published. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features of PE in elderly patients (≥75years). MethodsAll patients hospitalized for PE in our internal medicine department from January 2005 to December 2010 were included in the study. The aim was to compare the features of PE in elderly patients (≥75years) to those of patients younger than 75years. The following data were recorded: past medical history, risk factors for venous thrombo-embolism (VTE), clinical features, and PE etiologies. ResultsThe population was composed of 64 patients (women 56%) with a median age of 82years (IQR: 13.5). There was no statistical difference for risk factors of VTE. Syncope was more frequent in elderly patients (33% versus 7%, P=0.04) whereas thoracic pain predominated in younger patients (36,5% versus 7%, P=0.005). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more frequent in the past medical history of elderly patients. The diagnostic of PE was less suspected in elderly patients (47% versus 72%, P=0.035). The etiologies were similar between the two groups. ConclusionOur study highlights the frequency of syncope as the presenting feature of PE in elderly, whereas thoracic pain is uncommon. We confirmed the difficulty to diagnose PE in elderly population.

English

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequent in our country and accounts for thousands of hospitalization with significant mortality and morbidity. Diagnosing PE in our country is very difficult where there is paucity of high resolution multi-detector 64 slice CT scan along with financial limitations of patients. We can diagnose moderate to large pulmonary embolism with the help of D Dimer assay, electrocardiography, echocardiograph, Chest X ray along with symptoms which are highly suggestive of pulmonary embolism apart from the gold standard that is high resolution 64 slice multi-detector CT scan. There is a greater need to confirm and diagnose PE with the help of D- dimer assay, electrocardiography, Echocardiograph, Chest X ray in patients who present with features of PE(wells criteria) in our country because either most hospital in our country do not have multi detector CT scan or patient is not financially sound to afford it. We can still diagnose PE without CT scan and thus in turn can treat most of the patients with moderate to large pulmonary embolism without high resolution CT scan. INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism accounts for millions of hospitalizations annually worldwide. Although D-Dimer testing for exclusion of PE and chest computed tomography(CT)for imaging PE have revolutionized the diagnostic approach, PE remain difficult to detect unless high index of clinical suspicion is kept during management of critically ill patients. Our understanding of the precipitants of PE has improved especially the role of hyper- coagulable states and potentially modifiable risk factors such as long-haul air travel and obesity. Doctors in critical care and cardiologist must provide expertise in the treatment of hemodynamically compromised patients with PE as well as those with right ventricular failure who maintain a stable blood pressure and heart rate. This requires rapid and accurate risk stratification, often with echocardiography, elevation of troponin, D-dimer assay, brain natriuretic peptide levels, so that those patients with adverse prognosis will be identified and treated with thrombolysis or embolectomy.