BACKGROUND Heart diseases increase the risk of arterial embolism; whether they increase the risk of pulmonary embolism without peripheral venous thrombosis is less certain. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a nationwide, population-based case-control study in Denmark using patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and/or deep venous thrombosis between 1980 and 2007. We computed odds ratios to...

INTRODUCTION We describe a case of pulmonary gas embolism caused by portal vein gas (PVG) observed using echocardiography. Echography revealed gas flowing through the hepatic vein, inferior vena cava, right atrium, and right ventricle, as well as pulmonary hypertension. The patient was diagnosed as having pulmonary gas embolism caused by PVG. OBJECTIVE We consider PVG routes to pulmonary circ...

RATIONALE Clinical probability assessment is a fundamental step in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. OBJECTIVES To develop a predictive model for pulmonary embolism based on clinical symptoms, signs, and the interpretation of the electrocardiogram. METHODS The model was developed from a database of 1,100 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, of whom 440 had the disease confirmed by...

To determine the sensitivities and specificities of ventilation/perfusion lung scans for acute pulmonary embolism, a random sample of 933 of 1493 patients was studied prospectively. Nine hundred thirty-one underwent scintigraphy and 755 underwent pulmonary angiography; 251 (33%) of 755 demonstrated pulmonary embolism. Almost all patients with pulmonary embolism had abnormal scans of high, inter...

Pulmonary embolism may be a life-threatening condition that needs immediate medical intervention. Early detection plays an important role in improving the survival rate. However, pulmonary embolism is a difficult diagnosis that may be missed because of non-specific clinical presentation. According to guidelines on the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism, it should be diagnosed ...

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a risk factor for pulmonary embolism. Elevated D-dimer levels and other biomarkers are associated with recurrent pulmonary embolism. The objectives were to compare the frequency of elevated D-dimer levels (>500 ng·mL(-1)) and further coagulation biomarkers after oral anticoagulation withdrawal in pulmonary embolism patients, with and without obstructive sleep apnoea,...

Pulmonary embolism is a very dangerous difficult-to-detect medical condition. To diagnose pulmonary embolism, medical practitioners combine indirect signs of this condition into a single score, and then classify patients into low-probability, intermediate-probability, and high-probability categories. Empirical analysis shows that, when we move from each category to the next one, the probability...

The incidence of venous thromboembolism after major trauma has been estimated to be as high as 60%, despite appropriate prophylaxis. Pulmonary embolism is associated with deep venous thrombosis and also with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. This study examined risk factors for pulmonary embolism among patients with pelvic and lower-extremity fractures in the National Trauma Data Ba...

BACKGROUND The limitations of the current diagnostic standard, ventilation-perfusion lung scanning, complicate the management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. We previously demonstrated that determining the pretest probability can assist with management and that the high negative predictive value of certain D -dimer assays may simplify the diagnostic process. OBJECTIVE To determ...