Prolonged Hospital Stay affects patients with Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Patients with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) are commonly admitted to hospital and generally have a prolonged hospital stay. Researchers have aimed to determine different clinical and laboratory parameters that are associated with prolonged hospital stay and to analyse effectiveness of Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) score as a predictor of prolonged hospital stay in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. The study is published in Journal of the Associations of Physcians of India.

An observational prospective study confirmed cases of pulmonary thromboembolism who were defined as patients with evidence of thrombus on their CT pulmonary angiogram. Depending on the length of hospital stay, patients were divided into two cohorts: Shorter Hospital stay (less than 10 Days) and Prolonged Hospital stay (longer than 10 Days).

 A total of 150 patients were included in the study with 44.67% patients having shorter hospital stay and 55.33% patients having prolonged hospital stay.

 It was hence, concluded Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index class can be effectively used to predict prolonged hospital stay in patients with pulmonary embolism.

Patients with hypotension at presentation, decreased level of consciousness, an ECG abnormalities are more likely to prolong their hospital stay.