title: Pulmonary embolism in patients attending the accident and emergency department with pleuritic chest pain.
abstract: A series of 92 patients presenting to an accident and emergency department with pleuritic chest pain is described. Only one of the patients had a diagnosis of pulmonary embolus. All the patients were followed up over a period of 3 months. During this time none of them suffered from mortality or morbidity which could be related to pulmonary embolism. No evidence was obtained during this study that a more aggressive approach to such patients is required in order to achieve the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Department Southampton General Hospital, U.K.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reichl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality