title: Prevalence and predictors of pulmonary embolism in Korean patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data concerning the rate of pulmonary embolism (PE) in Asian patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation are sparse, and no study has shown predictors of PE in these patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and predictors of PE in Korean patients with COPD exacerbation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalized patients with COPD exacerbations were prospectively enrolled into this study and underwent computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography and indirect CT venography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common cause of COPD exacerbation was lower respiratory tract infection (82%; n = 84), followed by PE (5%; n = 5). Eight patients (8%) had venous thromboembolism, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was seen in 6%, with proximal DVT in 4%. On multivariate analysis, the absence of symptoms of respiratory infection and plasma D-dimer elevation (≥500 µg/l) were significant factors predicting PE in patients with COPD exacerbations (odds ratio 31, 95% confidence interval 2-563, p = 0.02, and odds ratio 25, 95% confidence interval 1-464, p = 0.03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PE comprises approximately 5% of the etiologies of COPD exacerbations in Koreans. The absence of symptoms suggestive of respiratory infection and elevated plasma D-dimer levels were significant predictors of PE in this population.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Keum-Ju
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Seung-Ick
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Kyung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jongmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yup
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hwangbo
authors.forename: Seung-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jaehee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shin-Yup
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae-Hoon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology