Pulmonary Embolism

THERE has been no significant decrease in the percentage of cases in which pulmonary emboli were demonstrated at autopsy at this hospital group since the introduction of definitive and prophylactic treatment of venous thrombosis. This therapy includes venous interruption and the administration of heparin and dicumarol, as well as prophylactic exercises, early ambulation and even paravertebral autonomic block in one case. During the thirteen years from 1928 through 1940 pulmonary emboli were found in 7.5 per cent of all autopsies, whereas the figure became 6.7 per cent during the following six-year period (Table 1). The percentage of operations that were . . .