Increased Admissions for Mild Pulmonary Embolism

Since the early 1990s, changes in the management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) have included greater sensitivity and availability of computed tomography angiography, treatment options such as new oral anticoagulants, and guidelines supporting outpatient treatment for patients with low-risk PE. Using administrative data from the National Inpatient Sample, these authors examined trends over time for patients admitted for PE from 1993 to 2012.

Over the study period, the population-adjusted rate of admissions for PE increased from 23 to 65 per 100,000 population. Rates of death (1.6 vs. 2.1 per 100,000) and massive PE (1.5 to 2.8 per 100,000) also increased, but not in proportion to the increase in admissions. Median length …