Results:

The study included 1,240 patients, of whom 103 (8.3%) were diagnosed with PE. Patients with PE more often required transfer to ICU (31.1% vs. 13.5%; p < 0.001) or mechanical ventilation (24.3% vs. 7.3%; p < 0.001) than patients without PE. Presence of PE was not associated with increased mortality. PE was characterized as high risk in 31%, intermediate-to-high risk in 7%, intermediate-to-low risk in 12%, and low risk in 51%. In 78% of patients, PE was diagnosed within 48 hours of hospital admission. In patients diagnosed with PE, median time from hospital admission to ICU transfer was 2 days; median time to death without ICU transfer was 6.4 days. Univariate analysis showed that increased risk of PE was associated with male gender, history of stroke, atrial fibrillation, presence of chest pain, longer time from onset of symptoms to hospitalization, increased leukocytes and platelets, elevated C-reactive protein, higher D-dimer, severe pulmonary lesions on computed tomography, higher fraction of inspired oxygen, and lower partial pressure of oxygen. PE incidence was lower in patients who received therapeutic dose anticoagulation prior to admission and in patients treated with prophylactic dose anticoagulation during hospitalization. In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with increased risk of PE included therapeutic anticoagulation prior to admission, prophylactic dose of anticoagulation during hospitalization, elevated C-reactive protein, time from onset of symptoms to hospitalization, and male sex.