Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study subjects.
| PE group (n = 18) | Non-PE group (n = 47) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (range), yr | 81 (49–85) | 80 (54–93) | .349 |
| Sex (male/female) | 13/5 | 37/10 | .743 |
| Smoking history, n (%) | 13 (72.2) | 30 (63.8) | .873 |
| Obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 4 (8.5) | 1.000 |
| Presence of symptoms, n (%) | 18 (100.0) | 47 (100.0) | N.A. |
| Dyspnoea, n (%) | 17 (94.4) | 45 (95.7) | 1.000 |
| Chest pain, n (%) | 2 (11.1) | 2 (4.3) | .305 |
| Bloody sputum, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (4.3) | 1.000 |
| Unilateral lower extremity edema, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 2 (4.3) | 1.000 |
| Mortality, n (%) | 6 (33.3) | 12 (25.5) | .548 |
| Type of ILD | |||
| IPF, n (%) | 7 (38.9) | 11 (23.4) | .230 |
| NSIP, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.1) | 1.000 |
| CPFE, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 8 (17.0) | .425 |
| COP, n (%) | 4 (22.2) | 4 (8.5) | .202 |
| Unclassified ILD, n (%) | 4 (22.2) | 12 (25.5) | 1.000 |
| Fibrotic HP, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 3 (6.4) | 1.000 |
| CVD-IP, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 5 (10.6) | 1.000 |
| Drug-induced IP | 0 (0.0) | 3 (6.4) | .555 |
| Acute exacerbation, n (%) | 10 (55.6) | 26 (55.3) | 1.000 |
| Having home oxygen therapy, n (%) | 5 (27.8) | 11 (23.4) | .753 |
| Having steroid/immunosuppressant therapy before admission, n (%) | 3 (16.7) | 15 (31.9) | .353 |
| Having anti-fibrotic therapy before admission, n (%) | 5 (27.8) | 9 (19.1) | .507 |
| Intensification of treatment with steroids and immunosuppressants after hospitalization, n (%) | 11 (61.1) | 34 (72.3) | .387 |
| Having anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy before admission, n (%) | 3 (16.7) | 7 (14.9) | 1.000 |
| Underlying disease | |||
| Lung cancer, n (%) | 2 (11.1) | 5 (10.6) | 1.000 |
| Pulmonary hypertension, n (%)a | 9 (75.0) | 24 (72.7) | 1.000 |
| COPD, n (%) | 2 (11.1) | 4 (8.5) | 1.000 |
| Heart disease | 4 (22.2) | 10 (21.3) | 1.000 |
| SAS, n (%) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1.000 |
| ADL (bedridden/wheelchair-bound/walkable), n | 1/4/13 | 6/5/36 | .382 |
| Wearing compression stockings or having intermittent leg compression devices, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 2 (4.3) | 1.000 |
| Having diabetes, n (%) | 2 (11.1) | 5 (10.6) | 1.000 |
| Vital sign | |||
| Disturbance of consciousness, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 2 (4.3) | 1.000 |
| Body temperature, median (range) | 36.6 (35.6–39.0) | 36.8 (35.4–39.8) | .449 |
| Heart rate, median (range) | 84 (50–133) | 94 (58–185) | .592 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, median (range) | 127 (98–162) | 131 (90–175) | .450 |
| Respiratory rate, median (range) | 24 (15–56) | 20 (12–40) | .287 |
| Respiratory failure, n (%) | 13 (72.2) | 38 (80.9) | .507 |
| Wells score, median (range) | 2.5 (0.0–6.0) | 1.0 (0.0–5.5) | .165 |
| The probability categories of PE (low/moderate/high), n | 7/11/0 | 27/20/0 | .180* |
| Revised Geneva score, median (range) | 4.0 (0.0–6.0) | 5.0 (1.0–9.0) | .140 |
| The probability categories of PE (low/moderate/high), n | 7/10/1 | 5/42/0 | .048* |
| Fulfilled the PERC Rule, n (%) | 1 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) | .277 |
| Presence of DVT, n (%) | 10 (55.6) | 11 (23.4) | .019 |
| Laboratory findings | |||
| Haematocrit, median (range), % | 36.1 (24.5–47.9) | 34.0 (25.1–45.4) | .272 |
| WBCs, median (range), cells/µL | 8450 (3100–14,480) | 9770 (4890–19,600) | .250 |
| Platelet count, median (range), ×104/μL | 20.5 (9.1–38.5) | 21.4 (7.5–73.5) | .587 |
| PT-INR, median (range)b | 1.09 (0.95–1.39) | 1.08 (0.85–20.3) | .539 |
| APTT, median (range), secb | 29.1 (24.0–43.1) | 29.2 (22.9–43.0) | .764 |
| D-dimer, median (range), µg/mL | 24.5 (3.0–79.3) | 9.3 (0.5–80.8) | .016 |
| CRP, median (range), mg/dL | 4.62 (0.24–17.24) | 3.94 (0.05–38.45) | .775 |
| LDH, median (range), IU/L | 300 (170–724) | 308 (135.2–768) | .775 |
| Total protein, median (range), g/dL | 7.2 (5.1–8.7) | 6.4 (5.0–8.2) | .002 |
| Albumin, median (range), g/dL | 3.2 (2.2–4.0) | 3.0 (1.7–4.1) | .076 |
| Globulin, median (range), g/dL | 3.8 (2.6–5.5) | 3.2 (3.0–5.3) | .041 |
| Albumin/globulin ratio, median (range), % | 0.89 (0.44–1.29) | 0.94 (0.43–1.57) | .769 |
| KL-6, median (range), IU/Lc | 1285 (278–2184) | 760 (195–17503) | .083 |
ADL = activities of daily living, APTT = activated partial thromboplastin time, BMI = body mass index, COP = cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CPFE = combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, CRP = C-reactive protein, CVD = collagen vascular disease, DVT = deep vein thrombosis, HP = hypersensitive pneumonitis, ILD = interstitial lung disease, IP = interstitial pneumonia, IPF = idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, KL-6 = Krebs von den Lungen-6, LDH = lactate dehydrogenase, NSIP = nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, PE = pulmonary embolism, PERC = pulmonary embolism rule out criteria, PT-INR = prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, SAS = sleep apnea syndrome.
Cochran-Armitage test.
PE group n = 12, non-PE group n = 33.
PE group n = 18, non-PE group n = 43.
PE group n = 17, non-PE group n = 47.