title: Pulmonary embolism: multicenter registry in tertiary hospitals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical profile as well as the therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for patients with pulmonary embolism, describes clinical practice in the approach of the disease. Such information, scarce in national studies, enables a better understanding of pulmonary embolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter trial included 727 patients with pulmonary embolism who were admitted in emergency or intensive care unit. Diagnostic criteria for inclusion were: 1. Visibility of thrombus in the pulmonary artery at pulmonary arteriography, helical computer tomography, magnetic resonance or echocardiogram. 2. High probability at pulmonary scintigraphy. 3. Venous duplex-scan with thrombus and clinical manifestations of pulmonary embolism. Clinical and complementary exams were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 68 years, 42% were male. Most prevalent risk factors were: age>40 years, bed rest and neoplasm. More frequent signs and symptoms were: dyspnea, tachypnea, sinus tachycardia, and chest pain. Changes were observed at electrocardiogram in 30%, at chest X-ray in 45%, at venous duplex-scan in 67%, at transthoracic echocardiogram in 37%. . D-dimer, troponin I and CKMB were positive in, respectively, 93, 9 and 8%. Most frequently used methods to confirm diagnosis were helical computer tomography and non-fractioned heparin was the treatment most used. In-hospital mortality was 19.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was observed that age>40 years, prolonged rest and neoplasms were the most prevalent risk factors and dyspnea and tachypnea were the more frequent clinical manifestations. Helical computer tomography was the most often used method to confirm diagnosis and non-fractioned heparin was the main form of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hospital ProCardíaco, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volschan
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Denílson Campos de
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Bernardo Rangel
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Tura
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Lucas.
authors.forename: Marcos de Freitas
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Knibel
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Niterói, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo César Pereira da Silva E
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Lucas.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Toscano