Abstract： Objective To investigate strategies for prevention，early diagnosis，and prompt treatment for acute pulmonary embolism（PE）after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery（VATS）lobectomy. Methods From January 2007 to November 2010, 1 115 patients with lung cancer underwent VATS lobectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. Among them, 13 patients had acute PE postoperatively, including 6 male patients and 7 female patients with their mean age of 62.3 years（ranging from 42 to 73 years）.All the patients were diagnosed by spiral CT pulmonary artery angiography（SCTPA）, and received anticoagulation therapy with low molecular weight heparin and warfarin. Results The incidence of acute PE after VATS lobectomy was 1.17%（13/1 115）, and the patients with low PE-related early mortality risk accounted for a large proportion（11/13）. There were 12 patients with right-side PE. All the patients’ signs and symptoms were significantly alleviated after administration of anticoagulation therapy. Nine patients received SCTPA review after treatment which showed that their PE had disappeared or been significantly absorbed. No hematological complications including thoracic hemorrhage or wound errhysis occurred after treatment. All surviving patients were followed up for 1 month to 3 months. During follow-up, these patients were alive without PE recurrence. Conclusion SCTPA is the first-choice examination for the diagnosis of acute PE after VATS lobectomy. Prophylaxis against PE and prompt treatment are necessary depending on individual manifestations. VATS lobectomy should be favored as a minimally invasive surgical treatment for patients with lung cancer, for the low incidence of postoperative PE and low PE-related early mortality risk.
Objective To investigate the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for short-term all-cause mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Methods Such databases as PubMed, EMbase, Central Register of Controlled Trials, CBM, and CNKI (from the date of their establishments to March 2010) were searched. The level of BNP and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was collected to conduct eligible cohort study for assessing their effects on APE prognosis. Quality assessment and data extraction were performed in those clinical trials in line with the inclusion criteria. Then, RevMan 5.0 software was applied to carry out meta-analyses. Results Sixteen relevant studies with 1 126 APE patients were included. Nine studies reported BNP level and seven studies reported NT-pro BNP level. There was less satistical and clinical Heterogeneity among the groups (P=0.94, I2=0; P=0.99, I2=0). The meta-analyses results showed: the BNP or NT-pro BNP level was closely related with the short-term all-cause mortality. SPE was 0.52, + LR was 1.87, –LR was 0.20, PPV was 0.16, NPV was 0.98, SROC area under the curve was 0.830 5, SE (AUC) = 0.033 5.Conclusion While elevated BNP levels can help to identify APE patients at a higher risk of death, the high negative predictive value of normal BNP levels is more useful for doctors to identify patients with less likelihood of adverse events so as to conduct a selective follow-up.
Objective To investigate the incidence and management of CTEPH in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Xijing Hospital to enrich the epidemiological data of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in China.Methods We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the incidence and management of CTEPH in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Xijing Hospital from 2008 to 2012. Results The incidence of CTEPH was 5.24% . About 62.90% of venous thromboembolism/pulmonary embolism (VTE/PE) patients were unprovoked, and about 53.85% of CTEPH patients was unprovoked. About 38% of CTEPH patients had no history of VTE, and 62% of CTEPH patients had no history of acute pulmonary embolism. None of the CTEPH patients was treated by pulmonary thromboendarterctom (PTE) , and about 53.85% of patients were only given anticoagulant monotherapy. Conclusions The incidence of CTEPH is higher in our hospital than reported. This phenomenon may be related to the lack of awareness of risk factors of CTEPH and the insufficient thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy to acute pulmonary embolism. It’s very urgent to standardize the diagnosis and management of CTEPH in pulmonologists.
Objective To investigate whether antipsychotic drugs will increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and to provide evidence for the prevention of VTE and PE in patients with APs exposure. Methods Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP and Elsevier were searched from inception to July 2016 to collect case-control studies and cohort studies on the association between APs exposure and the risk of VTE and PE. The literature were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the data were extracted and the bias risk of the included studies were evaluated by two reviewers independently. The Meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 12 software. Results Nineteen studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that APs exposure was associated with VTE (OR=1.50, 95%CI 1.30 to 1.74,P<0.001). Exposure to low-potency FGA (OR=2.28, 95%CI 1.02 to 5.10,P=0.045), high-potency FGA (OR=1.68, 95%CI 1.37 to 2.05,P<0.001) and SGA (OR=1.74, 95%CI 1.24 to 2.44,P=0.001) revealed an increased risk of VTE. Exposure to APs also signi?cantly increase the risk of PE (OR=3.69, 95%CI 1.23 to 11.07,P=0.02), especially exposure to FGA (OR=2.54, 95%CI 1.22 to 5.32,P=0.013), but exposure to SGA could not revealed an increased risk of PE. Conclusion FGA and SGA exposure maybe associated with an increase in the risk of developing VTE. And exposure to the FGA could increase the risk of PE. The occurrence of VTE and PE should be monitored when taking Aps.
Objective To improve the knowledge of paradoxical embolism originated from pulmonary embolism. Methods The medical literature about pulmonary embolism complicated with paradoxical embolism from 1998 to 2011 was searched from “Wanfang medical literature database”. Meanwhile 1 case diagnosed in Central Hospital of Dazhou City was reported. Then the clinical characteristics were summarized. Results 51 cases of pulmonary embolism complicated with paradoxical embolism were diagnosed, aged from23 to 76 years old. There were 27 males and 23 females, and sex was unknown in 1 case. In all cases, the cerebral embolism occurred in 30 cases( 58. 8% ) , lower limb artery embolism in 14 cases( 27. 4% ) , kidney artery embolism in 6 cases( 11. 8% ) , patent foramen ovale with straddling thrombus in 4 cases( 8% ) ,multiple embolismin 8 cases( 15. 7% ) , heart ventricle with straddling thrombus in 1 case ( 1. 96% ) , coronary artery embolism in 1 case( 1. 96% ) , aorta embolism in 1 case( 1. 96% ) , and spleen embolism in 1 case ( 1. 96% ) . There were 35 patients ( 68. 8% ) with patent foramen ovale and 7 cases ( 13. 7% ) died. Conclusions Paradoxical embolism waranted more awareness in the cases of pulmonary embolismand/ or venous thromboembolism and aggressive screening might avoid misdiagnosis.
【Abstract】 Objective To improve the knowledge of pulmonary embolism with normal D-dimer levels. Methods Nine consecutive patients of established pulmonary embolism with a normal D-dimer concentration admitted from January 2004 to December 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Results Pulmonary embolism was confirmed in the 9 patients with a normal D-dimer concentration. Pulmonary embolismwas confirmed in only one patientwith an unlikely probability of pulmonary embolism. Wells score was 3 and the localization of the emboli was segmental emboli. In other 8 patients with a likely clinical probability of pulmonary embolism, the complaints of those patients existed between 1 hour and 2 months.Wells score was between 4. 5 and 7. 5, with a median of 6. 0. D-dimer concentration was between 0. 1 and 0. 5 mg/L, with a median of 0. 3 mg/L. The localization of the emboli was sub-segmental emboli in 3 cases,segmental emboli in 4 cases, and central emboli in 2 cases. Conclusions Our findings indicate that it is essential to examine the patient and assess the clinical probability at the first, then the D-dimer concentration should be taken into account. In patients with a likely clinical probability, a normal D-dimer test result can not exclude pulmonary embolism, and additional imaging testing is necessary.
Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical features, differential diagnosis, surgical treatment and outcome of primary pulmonary artery sarcoma. Methods Between January 1994 and December 2004, 5 patients with primary pulmonary artery sarcoma were identified at operation and treated by surgical resection. Pulmonary valve stenosis were initially diagnosed in 3 patients, and chronic pulmonary embolism were initially diagnosed in 2 patients. Tumor resection from the vascular bed was performed in 1 patient and tumor resection and homograft reconstruction of pulmonary arteries were performed in 4 patients. Results One patient died of postoperative refractory pulmonary hypertension, 2 patients died 4 months after operation because of brain metastases, 1 patient was alive for 9 months after operation with recurrent pulmonary tumor, and 1 patient was alive for 2 years after operation without clinical or radiological signs of tumor recurrence or metastasis. Histological examinations showed 4 malignant mesenchymomas and 1 fibrosarcoma. Conclusions Primary pulmonary artery sarcomas are rare and usually fatal tumors of the cardiovascular system. The diagnosis is difficult and this disease is frequently misdiagnosed as chronic pulmonary hromboembolism and pulmonary valve stenosis. Early diagnosis can be improved by computerized tomography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging. Radical surgical resection was the most effective modality for shortterm palliation. The prognosis of pulmonary artery sarcoma is poor. The survival time after resection varies from several months to several years depending on the presence of recurrence or metastasis.
Objective To summarize the clinical manifestation and the causes of lower limb deep venous thrombosis （DVT） complicated with pulmonary embolism （PE）. Method The clinical data of 45 cases of PE confirmed by CTPA from May 2009 to May 2012 in this hospital were summarized retrospectively. Results Five patients with PE had no obvious clinical manifestation， 9 patients （20.0%） had chest stuffiness and short of breath， 8 patients （17.8%） had cough. In the causes of thrombosis defluxion：11 patients （24.4%） had early mobilization after operation， 9 patients （20.0%） had functional exercise after operation， 7 patients （15.6%） had turn over or defecate on bed， 2 patients （4.4%） had sneeze， 14 patients （31.1%） had no definite causes. Conclusions Patients with lower limb DVT have high risk of thrombosis defluxion， although adequate anticoagulation. Early mobilization， functional exercise， and transient increased abdominal pressure are easy to lead to thrombosis defluxion， so lead to PE. Absence of the protection of inferior vena cava filter， patient should be required for bed ridden in order to avoid the thrombosis defluxion.
Objective To analyze the clinical features of patients with acute pulmonary embolism ( APE) with normal blood pressure and right ventricular dysfunction. Methods 130 hospitalized patients with normotensive APE between January 2009 and January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography to determine if they were complicated with RVD. The clinical features, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment were analyzed and compared between the normotensive APE patients with or without RVD. Results 41 normotensive APE patients with RVD were as RVD group, and other 89 patients without RVD were as non-RVD group. The incidences of syncope ( 34.1% vs. 7.8% ) , tachycardia( 41.4% vs. 21.3% ) , P2 hyperthyroidism( 46.3% vs. 25.8% ) , jugular vein filling ( 12.1% vs. 1.1% ) , and cyanosis ( 26.8% vs. 8.9% ) were all significantly higher in the RVD group than those in the non-RVD group ( P lt; 0.05) . Computed tomography pulmonary angiography ( CTPA) revealed that the incidences of thromboembolism involving proximal pulmonary artery ( 58. 3% vs. 8. 3% ) and thromboembolism involving lobar pulmonary ( 77.8% vs.51.2% ) were also higher in the RVD group ( P lt; 0.001, P = 0.025 ) . In the RVD group, the patients were assigned to received thrombolysis plus anticoagulation therapy, or anticoagulation therapy alone. The clinical indicators ( heart rate, PaCO2 , AaDO2 , SPAP, TRPG) were all statistically improved after thrombolysis or anticoagulation treatment ( P lt;0.001) . But compared with the patients who underwent anticoagulation therapy alone, the cost of treatment and the incidence of minor bleeding were significantly higher, and the levels of AaDO2 , SPAP and TRPG were statistically lower in the patients with thrombolysis plus anticoagulation therapy. Conclusions For APE patients with central pulmonary embolism demonstrated by CTPA, syncope, and tachycardia, transthoracic echocardiograph should be performed as early as possible to confirm RVD diagnosis. For normotensive APE patients with RVD, anticoagulant treatment can achieve higher efficacy of costeffectiveness ratio.
Objective To explore the relationship between thrombocytosis and all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods In a multicenter retrospective study on clinical characteristics, COPD patients with proven acute PE between October 2005 and February 2017 were enrolled. The patients in risk classes III-V on the basis of the PESI score were excluded. The patients with COPD and low-risk PE were divided into two groups of those with thrombocytosis and without thrombocytosis after extracting platelet count on admission. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of the two groups were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to reveal an association between thrombocytosis and all-cause in-hospital mortality after confounding variables were adjusted. Results A total of 874 consecutive patients with COPD and PE at low risk were enrolled in which 191 (21.9%) with thrombocytosis. Compared with those without thrombocytosis, the thrombocytopenic group had significantly lower body mass index [(20.9±3.3) kg/m2 vs. (25.1±3.8) kg/m2, P=0.01], lower levels of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) [(0.9±0.4) L vs. (1.3±0.3) L, P=0.001] and lower partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood (PaO2) [(7.8±1.2) kPa vs. (9.7±2.3) kPa, P=0.003]. The COPD patients with thrombocytosis had a higher proportion of cardiovascular complications as well as higher level of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) [(46.5±20.6) mm Hg vs. (34.1±12.6) mm Hg, P=0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjustment for confounders revealed that thrombocytosis was associated with all-cause mortality in hospitalized patients with COPD and low-risk PE (adjusted OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.03–2.29), and oral antiplatelet treatment was a protective factor (adjusted OR=0.71, 95%CI 0.31–0.84). Conclusions Thrombocytosis is an independent risk factor for all-cause in-hospital mortality in COPD patients with PE at low risk. Antiplatelet therapy may play a protective role in the high-risk cohort.