Triggers of acute pulmonary thromboembolism developed in hospital, with focusing on toilet activities as triggering acts.
BACKGROUND
The recognition of the trigger which is the action leading to the occurrence of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE) is important to perform early diagnosis and early management of APTE.


RESULTS
The trigger of APTE in 138 patients who developed APTE in hospital was investigated. The triggers of APTE were specified in 57 patients. Approximately half of these patients developed APTE during toilet activities (defecation and micturition). Mortality of the patients with APTE associated with toilet activities was 33%. APTE associated with toilet activities was independently related to a recent major surgery, heart diseases and a recent angiography.


CONCLUSIONS
Defecation and micturition would be common triggers of APTE after operation and angiography, especially in patients with cardiac dysfunction.
Yamada
Norikazu
N
The First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu 514-8507, Japan.
Nakamura
Mashio
M
Ishikura
Ken
K
Ota
Masahiro
M
Yazu
Takahiro
T
Ota
Satoshi
S
Ito
Masaaki
M
Fujioka
Hirofumi
H
Isaka
Naoki
N
Nakano
Takeshi
T
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003672:Defecation; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014554:Urination