title: Assessments of the associations of thrombus localization with accompanying disorders, risk factors, D-dimer levels, and the red cell distribution width in pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pulmonary embolisms occur as a wide spectrum ranging from clinically asymptomatic thrombi to massive thrombi that lead to cardiogenic shock. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations of thrombus localization with risk factors, accompanying disorders, D-dimer levels and the red blood cell distribution width in patients with pulmonary embolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 148 patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, the presence and anatomical localization of the thrombus were assessed via computed tomographic pulmonary angiography. The accompanying disorders, risk factors, serum D-dimer levels, and red blood cell distribution width of the patients were retrospectively evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02388841.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 54±16.0 years, and 48 patients were ≥65 years of age. The most frequent accompanying disorders were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22%) and malignancy (10.1%), and the most frequent risk factors were recent operation (14.1%) and immobilization (18.2%). Thrombi were most frequently observed in the right pulmonary artery (37.8%). In 31% of the patients, the thrombus was localized to the main pulmonary arteries. Immobile patients exhibited a higher proportion of thrombi in the main pulmonary arteries than mobile patients. The mean D-dimer level and the mean red blood cell distribution width in the patients with thrombi in the main pulmonary arteries were higher than those in the patients with thrombi in more distal pulmonary arterial branches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant associations of proximally localized thrombi with immobilization, the D-dimer levels, and the red blood cell distribution width were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunnetcioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bunyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sertogullarindan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Muğla Sitki Koçman University Medical Faculty, Muğla, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozbay
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selvi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salemi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D