SYM PTOMATOLOGY AND PHYSICAL FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY EMBOLISM

Dr. Veena.H.N; Vishnu Sharma M; Dr. Harsha.D.S; Dr Aparna S Nirmal; Dr.Sakinya Hegde; Dr.Jyothsna.B.K; Dr Anupama.N

Volume : VIII, Issue : II, February - 2019

SYM PTOMATOLOGY AND PHYSICAL FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY EMBOLISM

Dr. Veena. H. N, Vishnu Sharma M, Dr. Harsha. D. S, Dr Aparna S Nirmal, Dr. Sakinya Hegde, Dr. Jyothsna. B. K, Dr Anupama. N

Abstract :

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of acute cardiovascular emergency. Venous thromboembolism contributes substantially to patient morbidity, mortality and cost of management. Pulmonary embolism accounts for 5–10% of death in hospitalized patients. Pulmonary embolism is the most common cause of preventable hospital death. Clinical presentation of pulmonary embolism is variable and nonspecific. Hence diagnosis of pulmonary embolism may be missed. However, early diagnosis is essential since immediate appropriate treatment reduces morbidity and mortality. Up to 10% of symptomatic pulmonary embolism is fatal in the first hour and mortality can be reduced from 30% to nearly 8% if treated early. Hence it essential for clinicians to be familiar with the symptoms and clinical features of pulmonary embolism so that early diagnosis can be made. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY: To study the symptomatology and clinical features in hospitalised patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. Materials and methods: This was a prospective, descriptive clinical study. Data for the current study was collected from the patients who were admitted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India. Study was conducted from October 2017 to September 2018 in patients with diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism. All patients with suspected pulmonary thromboembolism were evaluated. Diagnosis was confirmed by computerised tomography pulmonary angiography. RESULTS: A total of thirty patients, 18(60%) males and 12(40%) females diagnosed to have Pulmonary Embolism were included in the study. Our study found mean age of the study group was 50.4±17.5 years and that of male patients were 48.9 ±18.7 years and female patients was 52.8±15.9 years. Of the diagnosed cases of pulmonary embolism 96.7% of the patients presented with chief complaints of dyspnoea. 33.3% of the patients had pleuritic chest pain. Leg pain (30%) and Leg swelling (30%) was the 3rd most common presenting complaint. On the examination the most common sign was tachypnea. 93.3% of the patients had tachypnea. Second most common presenting sign was tachycardia with 83.3%. Next most common presentation was hypotension and leg swelling with 40% each respectively and raised JVP and loud S2 with 26.7% each. CONCLUSION: Most common symptom in patients with pulmonary embolism is eathlessness. Most common sign in patients with pulmonary embolism is tachypnea and tachycardia. Hence if any hospitalised patient develops new onset of eathlessness with tachypnea and tachycardia without any other obvious cause pulmonary embolism should be considered as a differential diagnosis.