Key result
In 145 fatal pulmonary thromboembolism cases, 92.9% occurred within 60 days of exposure to main risk factors, with 87.6% of thrombi blocking bilateral pulmonary arteries.
Why the study?
Despite increased attention to thrombosis prevention, deaths due to pulmonary thromboembolism remain extensive and require forensic pathological analysis.
Observational (n=145)
No
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Fatal pulmonary thromboembolism most commonly occurs within 60 days of risk factor exposure (peaking at 8-15 days), with thrombi predominantly originating from lower limb veins and blocking bilateral pulmonary arteries.
Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a common cause of sudden unexpected death in forensic and clinical practice. Although the prevention of thrombosis has been paid more attention in clinical practice in recent years, the number of deaths due to PTE remains extensive. In the present study, 145 cases of fatal PTE were collected and retrospectively analyzed from 2001 to 2020 at the School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University in Liaoning Province, northeast of China. The demographic characteristics, risk factors of PTE, origins of thrombi, and time interval from the occurrence of main risk factors to PTE were retrospectively analyzed. The 40 to 59 age group accounted for the 51.0% of the total cases. Immobilization, trauma (especially fracture of the pelvis, femur, tibia, or fibula), surgery, cesarean section, and mental disorders were the top 5 high-risk factors. Among the involved cases, 92.9% of the PTE (130/140) occurred within 60 days and peak at 8 to 15 days after the exposure of main risk factors. According to the autopsy findings, 87.6% of the thrombi blocked the bilateral pulmonary arteries at pulmonary hilus, with a maximum diameter of 1.6 cm and a maximum length of 21.9 cm, which were mainly derived from lower limb (65.5%) or pelvic veins (10.3%). Although the embolus limited the pulmonary circulation, there is no difference on the ratio of lung-to-heart weight between PTE and the disease-free accident victims. Overall, our present retrospective study provides important information for the forensic analysis on the cause of death and potential guidance on clinical prevention of PTE.
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Chen et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Fatal pulmonary thromboembolism (n=145). Risk factors for pulmonary thromboembolism (e.g., immobilization, trauma, surgery) vs. Disease-free accident victims was evaluated on Demographic characteristics, risk factors, origins of thrombi, and time interval to PTE. In 145 fatal pulmonary thromboembolism cases, 92.9% occurred within 60 days of exposure to main risk factors, with 87.6% of thrombi blocking bilateral pulmonary arteries.
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