Table 2.
Symptoms, signs, and risk factors for pulmonary embolism
| n (N= 261) | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | ||
| Dyspnoea | 203 | 77.8 |
| Chest pain | 156 | 59.8 |
| Cough | 78 | 29.9 |
| Haemoptysis | 9 | 3.4 |
| Fever | 39 | 14.9 |
| Calf pain | 73 | 28.0 |
|
| ||
| Signs | ||
| Tachycardiaa | 76 | 29.5 |
| Rales | 45 | 17.2 |
| Decreased breath sounds | 26 | 10.0 |
| Signs of DVT | 62 | 24.0 |
|
| ||
| Risk factors | ||
| Known malignancy | 29 | 11.1 |
| Previous DVT/PE | 48 | 18.4 |
| Surgery/trauma or immobilisationb | 30 | 11.5 |
| Thrombophilia | 2 | 0.8 |
a
Tachycardia defined as heart rate >100 beats per minute.
b
Surgery or trauma in the previous 4 weeks, immobilisation for at least 3 days. DVT = deep venous thrombosis. PE = pulmonary embolism.