Mortality in Patients Treated for Pulmonary Embolism

Joseph S. Alpert, Roger Smith, C. Jeffrey Carlson, Ira S. Ockene, Lewis Dexter, James E. Dalen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

338 Scopus citations

Abstract

The hospital course of 144 consecutive patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) demonstrated by pulmonary angiography was reviewed to determine the mortality of patients with treated PE. Twelve patients (8%) died of PE, and eight died of causes other than PE; 124 (86%) survived. Pulmonary embolism was the primary cause of death in only four of the 12 patients who died of PE. Pulmonary embolism contributed to the death of eight other patients, each of whom had associated potentially lethal disease, particularly heart disease. The most important factor affecting mortality was shock due to acute right ventricular failure secondary to massive PE (mortality, 32%). Mortality was not related to magnitude of PE per se; the mortality of patients with massive PE without shock (6%) was the same as that for patients with submassive PE (5%). Patients with PE who survive long enough to have the diagnosis established and appropriate prophylactic therapy begun have an excellent prognosis, unless they have associated severe medical disease. (JAMA 236:1477-1480, 1976).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1477-1480
Number of pages4
JournalJAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Volume236
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 27 1976
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mortality in Patients Treated for Pulmonary Embolism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this