Clinical features of pulmonary embolism in elderly: A comparative study of 64 patients

Purpose. - To date only a few studies regarding pulmonary embolism (PE) in elderly have been published. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features of PE in elderly patients (>= 75 years). Methods. - All patients hospitalized for PE in our internal medicine department from January 2005 to December 2010 were included in the study. The aim was to compare the features of PE in elderly patients (>= 75 years) to those of patients younger than 75 years. The following data were recorded: past medical history, risk factors for venous thrombo-embolism (VTE), clinical features, and PE etiologies. Results. - The population was composed of 64 patients (women 56%) with a median age of 82 years (IQR: 13.5). There was no statistical difference for risk factors of VTE. Syncope was more frequent in elderly patients (33% versus 7%, P = 0.04) whereas thoracic pain predominated in younger patients (36,5% versus 7%, P = 0.005). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was more frequent in the past medical history of elderly patients. The diagnostic of PE was less suspected in elderly patients (47% versus 72%, P = 0.035). The etiologies were similar between the two groups. Conclusion. - Our study highlights the frequency of syncope as the presenting feature of PE in elderly, whereas thoracic pain is uncommon. We confirmed the difficulty to diagnose PE in elderly population. (C) 2013 Societe nationale francaise de medecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.