title: Changes of the proportion and mortality of pulmonary thromboembolism in hospitalized patients from 1974 to 2005.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) has become a common disease that severely endangers people's health. This study analysed the changes in proportion and mortality of PTE in hospitalized patients to provide data for prevention and management of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of 763 hospitalized patients with PTE from 1974 to 2005 in Fuwai Hospital were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 1970s, 0.27% of patients in a cardiovascular hospital had PTE (< 5 cases per year); while so far this century the proportion is 0.94% (48 to 113 per year). The mortality of hospitalized PTE patients fell from 20.00% in the 1970s to 4.10% this century. Prior to 1990, the mortality of hospitalized PTE patients was 12.50%, and in the years after 1990 only 3.40%. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.005). People with this disease were mostly between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Men were most susceptible between the ages of 30 and 69 years, while women between the ages of 40 and 69 years. Men contracted PTE 10 years earlier than women. The mortality of male PTE patients was 4.70%, not significantly different from female patients, 5.06% (0.50 < P < 0.75). There were not any significant differences between the mortality of patients in the different age groups overall (< or = 39, 40 - 49, 50 - 59, and > or = 60 years, P > 0.1). More people contracted the disease in winter than in other seasons (P < 0.05). There was no obvious difference between the mortality in different seasons overall (0.75 < P < 0.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTE is an increasingly significant disease and deserves adequate attention.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Vascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jian-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhi-peng
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Yan-fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bai-ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Chang-ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Xin-hai
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Xian-sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors