Journal
ERJ OPEN RESEARCH
Volume 5, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD
DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00184-2018
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) is common and guidelines recommend outpatient care only for PE patients with low predicted mortality. Outcomes for patients with intermediate-to-high predicted mortality managed as outpatients are unknown. Electronic records were analysed for adults with PE managed on our ambulatory care unit over 2 years. Patients were stratified into low or intermediate-to-high mortality risk groups using the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI). Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients ambulated, 30-day all-cause mortality, 30-day PE-specific mortality and 30-day re-admission rate. Of 199 PE patients, 74% were ambulated and at 30 days, all-cause mortality was 2% (four out of 199) and PE-specific mortality was 1% (two out of 199). Ambulated patients had lower PESI scores, better vital signs and lower troponin levels (morning attendance favoured ambulation). Over a third of ambulated patients had an intermediate-to-high risk PESI score but their all-cause mortality rate was low at 1.9% (one out of 52). In patients with intermediate-to-high risk, oxygen saturation was higher and pulse rate lower in those who were ambulated. Re-admission rate did not differ between ambulated and admitted patients. Two-thirds of patients with intermediate-to-high risk PE were ambulated and their mortality rate remained low. It is possible for selected patients with intermediate-to-high risk PESI scores to be safely ambulated.
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