Effect of Beta-blockers on Tachycardia in Patients with Pulmonary Embolism

The Prognostic Value of the MAGGIC risk score in patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism

OBJECTIVES

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by the sudden blockage of the pulmonary arteries. Although the MAGGIC risk score has emerged as a valuable tool in predicting outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure, it has also been demonstrated and identified as a prognostic model in various cardiac diseases other than heart failure. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between MAGGIC score and adverse outcomes in patients with PE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 302 consecutive patients diagnosed with acute PE were retrospectively included in the present study. For each patient, the MAGGIC score was calculated. The study population was divided into two groups according to the median value of MAGGIC score.

RESULTS

Patients with high MAGGIC score had a significantly higher proportion of elderly and female individuals, lower BMI, higher presence of CAD, DM, AFib, HF, HT, CKD, COPD, and ACEI/ARB and NOAC usage. Logistic regression analyses was carried out using univariate and multivariate analysis to predict the in-hospital and 30-day mortality predictors in the included PE patients. For in-hospital mortality, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, RV dilatation, and the MAGGIC score (HR: 1.166, 95% CI 1.077-1.263, p < 0.001) and for short-term mortality, sPESI and the MAGGIC score (HR: 1.925, 95% CI 1.243-2.983, p:0.003) were found to be independent predictors for adverse outcomes in patients with acute PE.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that the MAGGIC score can be applied as a valuable prognostic tool for acute pulmonary embolism.

Diagnostic performance of D-dimer in predicting pulmonary embolism in tuberculous pleural effusion patients

Background

Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) patients usually have elevated D-dimer levels. The diagnostic performance of D-dimer in predicting pulmonary embolism (PE) in the TPE population is unclear. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of D-dimer for PE in the TPE population and explore its potential mechanism.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed patients who were admitted to Xinhua Hospital and Weifang Respiratory Disease Hospital with confirmed TPE between March 2014 and January 2020. D-dimer levels were compared between patients with and without PE. To test the diagnostic performance of D-dimer in predicting PE, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. Positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were also reported. To explore the potential mechanism of PE in TPE, inflammatory biomarkers were compared between PE and non-PE patients.

Results

This study included 248 patients (170 males and 78 females) aged 43 ± 20.6 years. Elevated D-dimer levels (≥ 0.5 mg/L) were detected in 186/248 (75%) patients. Of the 150 patients who underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography, 29 were diagnosed with PE. Among the TPE population, the PE patients had significantly higher D-dimer levels than the non-PE patients (median, 1.06 mg/L vs. 0.84 mg/L, P < 0.05). The optimal cut-off value for D-dimer in predicting PE in TPE was 1.18 mg/L, with a sensitivity of 89.7% and a specificity of 77.8% (area under curve, 0.893; 95% confidence interval 0.839–0.947; P < 0.01). The PPV was 49.1%, while the NPV was 96.9% at a D-dimer cut-off of 1.18 mg/L for PE. PE patients had lower median WBC and interleukin (IL)-8 values (5.14 × 10⁹/L vs. 6.1 × 10⁹/L, P < 0.05; 30.2 pg/ml vs. 89.7 pg/ml, P < 0.05) but a higher median IL-2 receptor value (1964.8 pg/ml vs. 961.2 pg/ml, P < 0.01) than those in the non-PE patients.

Conclusions

D-dimer is an objective biomarker for predicting PE in patients with TPE. A D-dimer cut-off of 1.18 mg/L in the TPE population may reduce unnecessary radiological tests due to its excellent sensitivity, specificity, and NPV for PE. The imbalance of prothrombotic and antithrombotic cytokines may partly be attributed to the formation of pulmonary emboli in patients with TPE.