title: The pulmonary embolism severity index in predicting the prognosis of patients with pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many prognostic models have been developed to help physicians make medical decisions on treating patients with pulmonary embolism. Among these models, the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) has been shown to be a successful risk stratification tool for patients with acute pulmonary embolism. The PESI, however, had not been applied to patients with pulmonary embolism in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients included in this study were diagnosed by computed tomography at Inje University's Ilsan Paik Hospital between December 1999 and March 2007. Risk stratification for the patients was performed using the PESI. The mortality rate was calculated according to each PESI risk class.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 90 patients enrolled in this study, ten were assigned to PESI class I, 29 to PESI class II, 22 to PESI class III, eight to PESI class IV, and ten to PESI class V. The mortality rate after 30 days in each class was 0, 10.3, 9.1, 0, and 50% (p=0.0016), respectively, whereas the respective hospital mortality rate was 4.8, 13.8, 13.6, 12.5, and 50% (p=0.0065). The overall mortality was 9.5, 27.6, 31.8, 50.0, and 60%, respectively (p=0.0019). The mortality rate was significantly associated with the PESI class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PESI class was found to be significantly correlated with the 30-day mortality rate, hospital mortality, and overall mortality. Our data indicate that the PESI can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with pulmonary embolism and in making medical decisions regarding the treatment of patients with pulmonary embolism.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Ilsan-gu, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Won-Ho
authors: WH
authors: Choi
authors: Sung Uk
authors: SU
authors: Kwon
authors: Yoon Jung
authors: YJ
authors: Jwa
authors: Jung A
authors: JA
authors: Kim
authors: Yun-Ho
authors: YH
authors: Choi
authors: Je Ho
authors: JH
authors: Chang
authors: Hoon
authors: H
authors: Jung
authors: Joon Hyung
authors: JH
authors: Doh
authors: June
authors: J
authors: Namgung
authors: Sung Yun
authors: SY
authors: Lee
authors: Won Ro
authors: WR
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed