Table 1 Clinical characteristics at diagnosis for the 667 patients

Age in years, mean (± SD)

66.4 (± 13.3)

66.9 (± 12.9)

67.8 (± 12.8)

0.60

Male, n (%)

295 (44.2%)

264 (43.2%)

31 (54.3%)

0.27

Comorbidity, n (%)

Heart failure

75 (11.2%)

64 (10.4%)

11 (19.2%)

0.19

Renal dysfunction

96 (14.3%)

79 (12.9%)

17 (29.8%)

0.001

Cancer

181 (27.1%)

161 (26.3%)

20 (35.0%)

0.15

Previous DVT or PE

49 (7.3%)

46 (7.5%)

3 (5.2%)

0.55

Infection

277 (41.5%)

243 (39.8%)

34 (59.6%)

0.006

Clinical finding, n (%)

Hemoptysis

17 (2.5%)

16 (2.6%)

1 (1.7%)

0.91

Chest pain

60 (8.9%)

58 (9.5%)

2 (3.5%)

0.57

Altered mental state*

65 (9.7%)

49 (8.0%)

16 (28.0%)

<0.0001

Systolic blood pressure, mean (± SD), mmHg

121.8 (± 20.6)

123 (± 20.3)

110.5 (± 20.1)

0.0002

Shock^†

36 (5.3%)

28 (4.5%)

8 (14.0%)

0.0025

Positive spiral CT, n (%)^‡

635 (95)

583 (95)

52 (91)

–

Main pulmonary artery

247 (37)

220 (36)

27 (47)

–

Lobar artery

235 (35)

218 (35)

17 (30)

0.429

Segmental artery

146 (22)

136 (22)

100 (17)

–

Subsegmental artery

7 (1)

6 (1)

1 (2)

–

Cardiac chamber ratio and cardiac biomarker, mean

RV/LV ratio (± SD) n = 635

1.22 (± 0.45)

1.20 (± 0.43)

1.51 (± 0.55)

0.0006

NT Pro-BNP, ng/L (± SD) n = 322

4906 (± 13381)

3637 (± 13523)

8917 (± 10861)

0.045

Systemic inflammatory response

Heart rate >90 beats/min

187 (28.0%)

157 (25.7%)

30 (52.6%)

0.0003

Respiratory rate >20 breaths/min

248 (37.1%)

212 (34.7%)

36 (63.1%)

0.001

Body temperature (BT) >38.3°C or <36.0°C, n (%)

15 (2.2%)

10 (1.6%)

5 (8.7%)

0.0005

WBC <4,000 or >12,000 mL, n (%)

196 (29.3%)

169 (27.7%)

27 (47.3%)

0.0018

SIRS ≥ 2

191 (28.6%)

157 (25.7%)

34 (59.6%)

<0.0001

SIRS Score (0–4)

0.29 (± 0.45)

0.27 (± 0.44)

0.52 (± 0.50)

<0.0001

SIRS satisfying the WBC criteria, n (%)

113 (16.9%)

90 (14.7%)

23 (40.3%)

<0.0001

PESI ^§

95.9 (± 29.1)

93.3 (± 26.5)

122.9 (± 39.4)

<0.0001