Table 1.

Clinical characteristics of emergency department patients with acute pulmonary embolism, stratified by patient length of stay (n = 424).

Patient characteristics	ED patient length of stay
	LOS<24 hours N=145		LOS≥24 hours N=279
	No.	%	No.	%
Age median (IQR), years	64 (50–76)		64 (52–76)
LOS median (IQR), hours	14.3 (5.8–20.5)		53.1 (37.2–94.5)
Sex, male	67	46.2	134	48.0
Comorbidities
Cancer (history of or active)	34	23.4	76	27.2
Chronic lung disease (includes asthma)	44	30.3	86	30.8
Heart failure (diastolic or systolic)	17	11.7	30	10.8
Vital signs*
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg
<100 and ≥90	21	14.5	30	10.8
<90	6	4.1	12	4.3
Pulse, beats/min
≥100 and <110	30	20.7	43	15.4
≥110	48	33.1	84	30.1
Respiratory rate, breaths/min
≥24 and <30	42	29.0	75	26.9
≥30	18	12.4	25	9.0
Oxygen saturation, %
<94 and ≥90	40	27.6	53	19.0
<90	17	11.7	40	14.3
Temperature <36°C (96.8°F)	1	0.7	2	0.7
Altered mental statusŦ	1	0.7	2	0.7
Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index class
I	53	36.6	77	27.6
II	56	38.6	110	39.4
III	36	24.8	92	33.0

ED, emergency department; LOS, length of stay; IQR, interquartile range.

^*We report the most abnormal value in the direction in question. Vital signs include pre-arrival values from out-of-hospital and outpatient clinic settings if these were documented by the emergency physician. The numbers of missing vital signs were as follows: systolic blood pressure, n=2 (0.5%); pulse, n=2 (0.5%); respiratory rate, n=3 (0.7%); oxygen saturation, n=2 (0.5%); temperature, n=17 (4.0%).

^ŦAltered mental status as defined by the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index includes disorientation, lethargy, stupor, and coma.