Table 1.
Characteristics of patients with and without GP visit before diagnosis PE
| No prior GP visit (n=49) | Prior GP contact(s) (n=128) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years,* mean (±SD) | 60 (17) | 58 (16) | 0.429 |
| Male gender | 27 (55) | 60 (47) | 0.327 |
| Comorbidity | |||
| COPD/asthma | 5 (10) | 27 (21) | 0.067† |
| Hypertension | 11 (22) | 37 (29) | 0.387 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1 (2) | 4 (3) | 1.000† |
| Congestive heart failure | 0 (0) | 6 (5) | 0.189† |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 3 (6) | 14 (11) | 0.406† |
| Risk factors | |||
| History of DVT | 7 (14) | 26 (20) | 0.357 |
| Recent surgery | 8 (16) | 8 (6) | 0.045† |
| Recent immobilisation | 4 (8) | 6 (5) | 0.467† |
| Recent travelling | 2 (4) | 4 (3) | 0.669† |
| Malignancy | 9 (18) | 10 (8) | 0.042 |
| Oestrogen use, women | 0/22 (0) | 19/68 (28) | 0.005† |
| Prior pulmonary infection | 3 (6) | 23 (18) | 0.057† |
| History of smoking | 6 (12) | 33 (26) | 0.052 |
| Pregnancy | 0/22 (0) | 3/68 (4) | 1.000 |
| Days until diagnosis, median (IQR) | 0 (0) | 1 (8) | |
| Total range | NA | 0–126 days | |
| Delay >7 days | NA | 33 (26) | |
Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise.
*Missing values (n=3).
†Fisher's exact test
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DVT, deep venous thrombosis; GP, general practitioner; NA, not applicable; PE, pulmonary embolism.