Table 1 Demographics, signs and symptoms, risk factors and prior medical history by year for 850 patients undergoing CT angiography
From: Finding an alternative diagnosis does not justify increased use of CT-pulmonary angiography
Characteristics | 2000 | 2005 | 2008 | Total | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | 74 | 383 | 393 | 850 | |
Demographics | |||||
Age (years) (mean ± SD) | 66.8 ± 16.8 | 62.9 ± 17 | 60 ± 19.3 | 61.9 ± 18.2 | 0.004 |
Female (%) | 59.5 | 65 | 67.9 | 65.9 | 0.33 |
Females < 40 years (%) | 6.8 | 7.8 | 16.5 | 11.8 | 0.004 |
Body mass index (kg/m2) (mean ± SD) | 27.3 ± 5.5 | 27.4 ± 7.2 | 27.8 ± 6.2 | 27.6 ± 6.7 | 0.760 |
Signs and symptoms | |||||
Shortness of breath (%) | 79.7 | 63.7 | 62.3 | 64.5 | 0.015 |
Chest pain (%) | 27 | 38.9 | 50.1 | 43.1 | <0.001 |
Palpitations (%) | 5.5 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 0.06 |
Syncope (%) | 2.7 | 1 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 0.04 |
Hypoxia (%) | 13.7 | 6.5 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 0.06 |
Cough (%) | 9.5 | 9.9 | 12 | 10.8 | 0.60 |
Hemoptysis (%) | 1.4 | 0.3 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 0.003 |
Lower extremity pain (%) | 4.1 | 0 | 5.9 | 3.1 | <0.001 |
Leg edema/tenderness (%) | 1.4 | 0 | 8.9 | 4.2 | <0.001 |
Other (%) | 14.9 | 10.2 | 27.2 | 18.5 | <0.001 |
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 128 ± 27 | 131 ± 23 | 129 ± 22 | 130 ± 23 | 0.389 |
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 73 ± 13 | 75 ± 15 | 73 ± 14 | 74 ± 14 | 0.19 |
Respiratory rate (/min) | 23.8 ± 7.5 | 20.7 ± 6 | 20 ± 5.7 | 20.6 ± 6 | <0.001 |
Oxygen saturation (%) | 92.7 ± 6.8 | 94.1 ± 6 | 95.3 ± 9.6 | 94.5 ± 8 | 0.01 |
Requiring supplemental O2 (%) | 40.5 | 22.1 | 19 | 22.3 | <0.001 |
Risk factors for thrombosis (%) | |||||
Immobility | 31.1 | 24.8 | 15.8 | 21.2 | 0.001 |
Active malignancy | 31.1 | 29.8 | 22.1 | 26.4 | 0.03 |
Hospitalized in the prior 4 weeks | 38.4 | 34.7 | 28.3 | 32.1 | 0.08 |
Surgery in the prior 4 weeks | 25.7 | 17 | 16.3 | 17.4 | 0.14 |
Prior PE or DVT | 17.6 | 9.4 | 12.5 | 11.5 | 0.01 |
Pregnant | 1.4 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 0.01 |
Known hypercoagulable disorder | 0 | 1.6 | 1 | 1.2 | 0.48 |
On estrogen therapy | 6.8 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 0.06 |
Prior medical history (%) | |||||
Any lung disease | 29.7 | 26.4 | 24.4 | 25.8 | 0.58 |
Hypertension | 48.7 | 16.5 | 51.2 | 35.3 | <0.001 |
Coronary artery disease | 27 | 18.5 | 23.2 | 21.4 | 0.14 |
Congestive heart failure | 18.9 | 6 | 6.6 | 7.4 | <0.001 |
Other cardiac disease | 25.8 | 6.8 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 0.26 |
Dialysis | 0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.28 |
Transferred from another institution | 8.2 | 11.5 | 8.4 | 9.8 | 0.31 |