Pulmonary embolism: a frequent occurrence in Indian patients with symptomatic lower limb venous thrombosis.
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most severe complication of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). There have been very few studies to assess the prevalence of PE in Asian patients. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence of PE in patients presenting with suspected lower limb DVT.


METHODS
This was a prospective cohort study at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a large multispecialty hospital in New Delhi, India. From January 2001 to July 2004, 1,552 consecutive inpatients and outpatients who presented with clinically suspected lower limb DVT were enrolled in the study. Combined ascending radionuclide venography and lung perfusion scan was performed in all patients. Patients with evidence of pulmonary perfusion defects underwent ventilation lung scan.


RESULTS
Radionuclide venography-detectable DVT was noted in 744 patients, of whom 521 (70%) had suprapopliteal DVT. Of patients with DVT, 294 (39.5%) showed a high-probability lung scan and 135 (18.1%) had an intermediate-probability lung scan. Overall, 47% of patients with a high-probability scan had no clinical manifestations suggestive of PE.


CONCLUSIONS
PE occurs frequently in Indian patients with symptomatic DVT. Increasing awareness will provide us with clearer ideas about the prevalence of venous thromboembolism in Asian countries.
Parakh
Rajiv
R
Department of Vascular Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India. rparakh1@yahoo.co.in
Kapadia
Sumit R
SR
Sen
Ishita
I
Agarwal
Sandeep
S
Grover
Tarun
T
Yadav
Ajay
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications*