2S.B. Etlik İhtisas Eğitim Araştırma Hastanesi, Göğüs Hastalıkları ve Tüberküloz Kliniği ANKARA
3Sağlık Araştırmaları Genel Müdürlüğü Halk Sağlığı ANKARA
4Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi, Göğüs Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı AFYON Introduction: In recent years, with the increase in the elderly population, disease frequency has increased and the quality of life has decreased. The incidence of pulmonary embolism and the mortality rates are higher in the elderly population than the younger population. Thus, we aimed to demonstrate the follow up results of elderly patients with pulmonary embolism.
Materials and Method: The demographic data, the diagnosis and the treatment methods, the mortality rates and the factors contributing to mortality of 127 pulmonary embolism patients (women=51) aged 65 years or older were evaluated retrospectively. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean age of the study population was 70.55±13.41 years, and the most frequent symptom was dyspnea (74.8%), the most frequent comorbidity was congestive heart failure (24.4%). Bed rest for more than 3 days (44.8%) was the prominent risk factor for pulmonary embolism. There was a significant relationship between proximal localization of pulmonary embolism with bed rest for more than 3 days (p<0.01) and comorbidities (p=0.03). Pulmonary embolism was the cause for early mortality and comorbidities were responsible for late mortality.
Conclusion: Clinicians should suspect pulmonary embolism in patients aged 65 years or older with complaints of dyspnea and chest pain. High rates of early mortality due to pulmonary embolism and frequent localization of pulmonary embolism in main pulmonary arteries indicate the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Keywords : Aged; Lung; Pulmonary Embolism