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Discharge or admit? Emergency department management of incidental pulmonary embolism in patients with cancer: a retrospective study

Authors :
Srinivas R. Banala
Sai-Ching Jim Yeung
Terry W. Rice
Cielito C. Reyes-Gibby
Carol C. Wu
Knox H. Todd
W. Frank Peacock
Kumar Alagappan
Source :
International Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2017)
Publication Year :
2017
Publisher :
BMC, 2017.

Abstract

Abstract Background Hospitalization and early anticoagulation therapy remain standard care for patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with pulmonary embolism (PE). For PEs discovered incidentally, however, optimal therapeutic strategies are less clear—and all the more so when the patient has cancer, which is associated with a hypercoagulable state that exacerbates the threat of PE. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of a historical cohort of patients with cancer and incidental PE who were referred for assessment to the ED in an institution whose standard of care is outpatient treatment of selected patients and use of low-molecular-weight heparin for anticoagulation. Eligible patients had received a diagnosis of incidental PE upon routine contrast enhanced chest CT for cancer staging. Survival data was collected at 30 days and 90 days from the date of ED presentation and at the end of the study. Results We identified 193 patients, 135 (70%) of whom were discharged and 58 (30%) of whom were admitted to the hospital. The 30-day survival rate was 92% overall, 99% for the discharged patients and 76% for admitted patients. Almost all (189 patients, 98%) commenced anticoagulation therapy in the ED; 170 (90%) of these received low-molecular-weight heparin. Patients with saddle pulmonary artery incidental PEs were more likely to die within 30 days (43%) than were those with main or lobar (11%), segmental (6%), or subsegmental (5%) incidental PEs. In multivariate analysis, Charlson comorbidity index (age unadjusted), hypoxemia, and incidental PE location (P = 0.004, relative risk 33.5 (95% CI 3.1–357.4, comparing saddle versus subsegmental PE) were significantly associated with 30-day survival. Age, comorbidity, race, cancer stage, tachycardia, hypoxemia, and incidental PE location were significantly associated with hospital admission. Conclusions Selected cancer patients presenting to the ED with incidental PE can be treated with low-molecular-weight heparin anticoagulation and safely discharged. Avoidance of unnecessary hospitalization may decrease in-hospital infections and death, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient quality of life. Because the natural history and optimal management of this condition is not well described, information supporting the creation of straightforward evidence-based practice guidelines for ED teams treating this specialized patient population is needed.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
18651372 and 18651380
Volume :
10
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
International Journal of Emergency Medicine
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.60c27830a982473db078d9b9e90ccb0c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-017-0144-9