title: [Analysis the reasons of pulmonary embolism after spine surgery in eleven patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the clinical characteristics, early diagnosis and treatment for pulmonary embolism after spine surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1995 to May 2006, 11 cases suffered pulmonary embolism after spine surgery in the total of 10 993 patients. The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of these 11 cases were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of pulmonary embolism was 0.1% after spine surgery. Pulmonary embolism was found during 5 to 14 days after spine surgery (mean 9.8 days). All of them show characteristic syndrome of pulmonary embolism, such as difficult breathe, cardiopalmus, thoracodynia, hemoptysis. Five patients died, and the mortality was 45.5%. The earlier use of pulmonary angiography and embolectomy by catheter device, the lower mortality will be. It is significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulmonary embolism is one of the serious complications after spine surgery. It is the period of high happening on deadly PE and the mortality during 1 to 2 weeks after spine surgery. Pulmonary angiography and interventional therapy take an important part in the early diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Surgery, the Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China. wangmumu@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Sheng-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhong-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*