title: Correlates of syncope in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism.
abstract: Identification of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), as a cause of syncope, is important and may be life saving. We prospectively analyzed data on 335 patients with acute PTE. Relationships between syncope secondary to acute PTE and clinical findings, risk factors, and imaging modalities were analyzed. Of the 335 patients, 36 (10.7%) had syncope at presentation. Compared to patients without syncope, those with syncope had a higher frequency of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (94.3% vs 72.1%, respectively; P value = .004) and saddle embolism (24.2% vs 10.9%, respectively; P value = .044). Frequency of RV dysfunction was similar between patients with and without saddle embolism. Although not significant, more patients with syncope had a history of previous PTE (P value = .086). By multivariable analysis, RV dysfunction and saddle embolism were independent correlates of syncope in patients with PTE. In-hospital mortality was not significantly different between the groups. In conclusion, among patients with PTE, RV dysfunction and saddle embolism were the independent correlates of syncope.
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yaser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jenab
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotfi-Tokaldany
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran mj.aansari@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alemzadeh-Ansari
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Seyyedi
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shapoor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirani
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soudaee
authors.affiliation: Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghaffari-Marandi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D013575:Syncope / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
keywords: pulmonary embolism; syncope; thromboembolism