Review of acute pulmonary embolism in a general hospital.
OBJECTIVE
Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a serious cardiovascular disease associated with high mortality rates. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with APE in a general hospital in Japan.


METHODS
The subjects were 14 patients with APE: 6 with out-of-hospital onset and 8 with in-hospital onset.


RESULTS
The incidence of APE in hospitalized patients was 0.03% (95% confidence interval, 0.01%-0.05%). Eight patients suffered shock and three patients suffered cardiac arrest. Advanced age, deep vein thrombus (DVT), cancer, fracture, obesity, and surgery were common risk factors. In the hospitalized patients, surgery was a major risk factor: APE developed perioperatively in five (63%) of eight patients. Nine patients were treated with heparin alone, three were treated with thrombolysis, and two underwent surgical embolectomy for right heart thrombi. Three of the patients who suffered shock died during hospitalization and another died of recurrence 2 months after the first episode. Overall in-hospital and 3-month mortality rates were 21% and 29%, respectively, and the in-hospital mortality rate of the patients with shock was 38%.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute pulmonary embolism was associated with high mortality rates and surgery was the most common risk factor predisposing to APE in hospitalized patients. Thus, standardized prophylaxis against DVT is essential for patients undergoing surgery.
Ishida
Keiichi
K
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, National Hospital Organization, Chiba Medical Center, 4-1-2 Tsubakimori, Chiba 260-8606, Japan.
Masuda
Masahisa
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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