Table 2.
Baseline characteristics, medical history and initial presentation of 868 normotensive patients with acute pulmonary embolism
| All study patients (n = 868) | Modified FAST score ≥ 3 points (n = 302) | Modified FAST score < 3 points (n = 566) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male) | 389/868 (44.8%) | 140/302 (46.4%) | 249/566 (44.0%) | 0.520 |
| Age (years) | 70/868 (63–81) | 70/302 (62–81) | 70/566 (64–81) | 0.930 |
| Risk factors for VTE and comorbidities | ||||
| Previous VTE | 180/868 (20.7%) | 57/302 (18.9%) | 138/566 (24.4%) | 0.073 |
| Cancer* | 168/859 (19.6%) | 66/301 (21.9%) | 102/558 (18.3%) | 0.208 |
| Chronic left heart disease | 52/867 (6.0%) | 14/301 (4.7%) | 38/566 (6.7%) | 0.293 |
| Coronary artery disease | 137/854 (16.0%) | 40/295 (13.6%) | 97/559 (17.4%) | 0.170 |
| Symptoms and clinical findings on admission | ||||
| Syncope | 103/867 (11.9%) | 78/302 (25.8%) | 25/565 (4.4%) | < 0.001 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 98/866 (82–110) | 112/301 (101–120) | 90/565 (78–100) | < 0.001 |
| Heart rate ≥ 100 bpm | 441/866 (50.8%) | 283/301 (93.7%) | 158/565 (27.9%) | < 0.001 |
| Heart rate ≥ 110 bpm | 270/866 (31.1%) | 173/301 (57.3%) | 97/565 (17.1%) | < 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 131/868 (115–140) | 127/302 (110–140) | 133/566 (120–140) | < 0.001 |
| Mild hypotension† | 10/868 (1.2%) | 6/302 (2.0%) | 4/566 (0.7%) | 0.105 |
| Hypoxaemia‡ | 235/655 (35.9%) | 231/235 (98.3%) | 401/420 (95.5%) | 0.076 |
| RV dysfunction on TTE | 621/868 (71.5%) | 270/302 (89.4%) | 351/566 (62.0%) | < 0.001 |
| Elevated troponin | 426/868 (49.1%) | 284/302 (94.0%) | 142/566 (25.1%) | < 0.001 |
| Treatment and in-hospital outcomes | ||||
| Reperfusion therapy | 87/867 (10.0%) | 52/302 (17.2%) | 35/565 (6.2%) | < 0.001 |
| Adverse outcome | 27/868 (3.1%) | 16/302 (5.3%) | 11/566 (1.9%) | 0.006 |
| PE-related death | 12/868 (1.4%) | 7/302 (2.3%) | 5/566 (0.9%) | 0.123 |
| All-cause death | 32/868 (3.7%) | 17/302 (5.6%) | 15/566 (2.7%) | 0.036 |
* Defined as active or anti-tumor therapy within the last 6-months, or metastatic state
† Defined as systolic blood pressure between 90 and 100 mmHg on admission
‡ Arterial oxygen saturation < 90%
FAST H-FABP, syncope, tachycardia, H-FABP heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, VTE venous thromboembolism, PE pulmonary embolism, bpm beats per minute, RV right ventricular, TTE transthoracic echocardiography