Is the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index Being Routinely Used in Clinical Practice?

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of total study population as well as risk stratified by PESI.

Variables	Total; = 315	Low risk PE; = 163	Moderate risk PE; = 81	High; risk PE; = 71
Age (yrs ± SD)	63 ± 17	55 ± 16	72 ± 11	73 ± 14
Male (%)	44	40	43.2	56.3
Medical history
Heart failure (%)	20.3	4.3	31	45
Cancer (%)	23	6	33	52
CLD (%)	19	10	22	35
Hospital characteristics (%)
Tachypnea (RR > 30)	4.4	0	1	18
Tachycardia (HR > 100)	13	7.4	11	30
Hypotension (SBP < 100)	7.3	1.2	6.2	22.5
Hypothermia (temp. < 96 F)	2.5	0	1.2	10
Encephalopathy	2	0	0	8.5
Hypoxia (Ox sat < 90%)	6.3	0.6	2.5	24
Early discharge (≤3 days) (%)	7.6	9.2	8.6	3
Hospital stay (days ± SD)	7.3 ± 3	7.1 ± 3	6.8 ± 2.9	8.1 ± 3
Reason for hospital stay (%)
Anticoagulant bridging	85.6	82	89	90
Other	14.4	18	11	10

CLD: chronic lung disease; HR: heart rate; Ox sat: oxygen saturation; SD: standard deviation.