Estimated incidence of acute pulmonary embolism in a community/teaching general hospital.
OBJECTIVE
This study attempts to determine the incidence of established acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in a community/teaching general hospital.


BACKGROUND
The reported incidence of objectively diagnosed acute PE among hospitalized adults in a large urban hospital or major university hospital ranges from 0.27 to 0.40%. Whether the incidence of PE in other categories of hospitals fits within this narrow range is unknown.


METHODS
Patients with acute PE diagnosed by ventilation/perfusion lung scan, pulmonary angiography, compression ultrasound in a patient with suspected PE, autopsy, or (by coincidence) lung biopsy were identified among patients hospitalized during a 2-year period from 1998 to 2000. The incidence of PE was also determined according to age, sex, and race.


RESULTS
Among adult patients (> or = 20 years old), the incidence of established acute PE was 95 of 34,567 patients (0.27%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22 to 0.34%). No PE was diagnosed in patients < 20 years old. The incidence of PE in men was 36 of 13,722 patients (0.26%; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.36%); in women, it was 59 of 20,845 patients (0.2%; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.36%; not significant [NS]). The incidence in African-Americans adults was 10 of 4,344 patients (0.23%; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.42%); in white adults, it was 84 of 28,615 patients (0.29%; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.36%; NS).


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of PE in a community/teaching general hospital was comparable to the incidence in a large urban-care center and in a major university hospital.
Stein
Paul D
PD
St. Joseph Mercy-Oakland, Pontiac, MI 48341-2985, USA. steinp@trinity-health.org
Patel
Kalpesh C
KC
Kalra
Neeraj K
NK
Petrina
Mircea
M
Savarapu
Prathyusha
P
Furlong
James W
JW
Steele
Robert D
RD
Check
Frank E
FE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology*