Differentiating electrocardiographic indications of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism: A cross‐sectional study in Southern Iran from 2015 to 2020

• Published in: Clinical cardiology (Mahwah, N.J.) N.J.), 2024-03, Vol.47 (3), p.e24252-n/a
• Main Authors: Bahreini, Zahra, Kamali, Maliheh, Kheshty, Fatemeh, Bazrafshan Drissi, Hamed, Boogar, Shahrokh Sadeghi, Bazrafshan, Mehdi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood pressure; Chi-square test; Clinical; Cross-Sectional Studies; electrocardiogram; Electrocardiography; Electrocardiography - methods; Females; high‐risk pulmonary embolism; Hospitals; Humans; Hypotension; Iran - epidemiology; Lungs; massive pulmonary embolism; Mortality; Pulmonary arteries; pulmonary embolism; Pulmonary Embolism - diagnosis; Pulmonary Embolism - epidemiology; Pulmonary embolisms; Troponin; Variables
• ISSN: 0160-9289; 1932-8737; 1932-8737
• DOI: 10.1002/clc.24252

Background Although using electrocardiogram (ECG) for pulmonary embolism (PE) risk stratification has shown mixed results, it is currently used as supplementary evidence in risk stratification. This cross‐sectional study aimed to assess and compare ECG findings of massive and submassive PE versus segmental PE. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 250 hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acute PE from 2015 to 2020 in Southern Iran. Demographic variables, clinical data, troponin levels, on‐admission ECG findings, echocardiography findings, and ECG findings 24 h after receiving anticoagulants or thrombolytics were extracted. Results Patients diagnosed with submassive or massive PE exhibited significantly higher rates of right axis deviation (p = .010), abnormal ST segment (p