Table 1 Characteristics of the first 500 patients enrolled in the Prospective Investigative Study of Acute Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis Study.

	n (%)
Dyspnoea	345 (69)
Chest pain	240 (48)
Fainting	91 (18)
Palpitations	82 (16)
Hospitalisation	437 (85)
Surgery*	197 (39)
Bone fractures (lower limbs)*	82 (16)
Pre‐existing diseases
Cardiovascular	149 (30)
Pulmonary	86 (17)
Neoplastic	79 (16)
Endocrine	53 (11)

*Within 4 weeks of study entry.