Table 1. Baseline characteristics and treatment information for patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.
| All patients N = 2,096 | Male group N = 1,004 | Female group N = 1,092 | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical characteristics, | ||||
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 68.7 ± 16.6 | 66.6 ± 16.2 | 70.6 ± 16.8 | < 0.001 |
| Age > 65 years | 1394 (67%) | 602 (60%) | 792 (73%) | < 0.001 |
| Body mass index, Kg m-2 (mean ± SD) | 27.2 ± 6.4 | 26.8 ± 4.4 | 27.5 ± 7.6 | 0.05 |
| Delays in diagnosis, days (mean ± SD) | 5.0 ± 11.2 | 4.9 ± 8.2 | 5.0 ± 13.4 | 0.81 |
| Risk factors for VTE, | ||||
| History of VTE | 249 (12%) | 121 (12%) | 128 (12%) | 0.84 |
| Cancer† | 432 (21%) | 232 (23%) | 200 (18%) | <0.01 |
| Recent surgery‡ | 188 (9.0%) | 83 (8.3%) | 105 (9.6%) | 0.28 |
| Immobilizationy | 412 (20%) | 160 (16%) | 252 (23%) | < 0.001 |
| Comorbid diseases, | ||||
| Recent major bleeding‡ | 70 (3.3%) | 41 (4.1%) | 29 (2.7%) | 0.09 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) | 169 (8.1%) | 136 (14%) | 33 (3.0%) | < 0.001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 116 (5.5%) | 46 (4.6%) | 70 (6.4%) | 0.07 |
| Clinical symptoms and signs at presentation | ||||
| Syncope | 300 (14%) | 125 (12%) | 175 (16%) | 0.02 |
| Chest pain | 936 (45%) | 454 (45%) | 482 (44%) | 0.66 |
| Dyspnea | 1,514 (72%) | 717 (71%) | 797 (73%) | 0.44 |
| Heart rate ≥ 110/minute | 426 (20%) | 188 (19%) | 238 (22%) | 0.08 |
| Arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation < 90% | 563 (27%) | 259 (26%) | 304 (28%) | 0.30 |
| SBP < 90 mm Hg | 75 (3.6%) | 36 (3.6%) | 39 (3.6%) | 0.99 |
| Concomitant DVT (n = 1,630) | 915/1,630 (6%) | 461/784 (59%) | 451/846 (53%) | 0.02 |
| Cardiac biomarkers, n (%) | ||||
| BNP > 100 pg/mL (n = 805) | 379 (47%) | 163 (40%) | 216 (54%) | < 0.001 |
| cTnI > 0 ng/mL (n = 1,564) | 460 (29%) | 202 (27%) | 258 (31%) | 0.06 |
| sPESI | ||||
| Low-risk | 638 (30%) | 318 (32%) | 320 (29%) | 0.25 |
| High-risk | 1,458 (70%) | 686 (68%) | 772 (71%) | 0.25 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||
| Creatinine levels > 1.5 mg/dL | 91 (11%) | 106 (11%) | 133 (12%) | 0.01 |
| Treatment | ||||
| Thrombolytic therapy | 91 (4.3%) | 54 (5.4%) | 37 (3.4%) | 0.19 |
| Insertion of an IVC filter | 49 (2.3%) | 18 (1.8%) | 31 (2.8%) | 0.15 |
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; VTE, venous thromboembolism; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; SBP, systolic blood pressure; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; cTnI, cardiac troponin I; sPESI, simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index; IVC, inferior vena cava.
†Active or under treatment in the last year
‡In the previous month
yImmobilized patients are defined in this analysis as non-surgical patients who had been immobilized (i.e., total bed rest with bathroom privileges) for ≥4 days in the month prior to PE diagnosis