This study aimed to determine the frequency of fatal pulmonary emboli in hospitalised medical patients by a retrospective necropsy review and prospective non-interventional patient follow up study. The main outcome measure, necropsy proven fatal pulmonary embolism, was determined from 400 consecutive necropsy records and 200 consecutive medical inpatient episodes. Fatal pulmonary embolism was recorded in 29 of 400 necropsies; 17 were medical patients. Thirty one of 200 consecutive medical patients died. Fourteen necropsies were performed and revealed pulmonary embolism as the cause of death in five patients. The incidence of necropsy proven fatal pulmonary embolism was therefore 2.5% (95% confidence intervals 0.8% to 5.7%). Therefore, one in 40 medical patients had pulmonary embolism recorded as the cause of death at necropsy. As the necropsy rate was only 45% the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism may be greater. There is, therefore, a need to perform more large prospective studies to confirm the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism in medical patients and to identify risk factors and effective antithrombotic prophylaxis.
We recently reported a high cumulative incidence of thrombotic complications in critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of three Dutch ...
Isolated cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients treated with interferon (IFN) α or β have been reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to descr...
Summary Previously reported figures for the incidence of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, based largely on American results, would suggest that the average British Health Di...
Background— Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is often a sequel of venous thromboembolism with fatal natural history; however, many cases can be cured by pul...
A prospective population-based cohort study with a nested case-control study was conducted to estimate the incidence of gastroenteritis and the associated pathogens in the gener...
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