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Before 1997, the reported incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) after trauma ranged from 0.4% to 18%, but more-recent data suggest that the incidence is less than 1%. Researchers used the trauma registry at a single level I trauma center in Maryland to compare the incidence of PE during two periods: 1999 through 2004 (35,424 patients) and 2005 through 2006 (15,022 patients).
PE was diagnosed significantly more frequently in 2005–2006 than in 1999–2004 (0.55% vs. 0.27% of patients). The two groups did not differ significantly in sex distribution; mean age; incidence of closed-head injury, lower-leg injury, pelvis injury, and blunt injury; mean Injury Severity Score; mean time to PE diagnosis (11.8 days and 9.2 days); and mortality rates in pat…