Baseline characteristics (diagnostic delay >7 days)
| No diagnostic delay (n=95) | Diagnostic delay >7 days (n=33) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years,* mean (±SD) | 56 (15) | 62 (18) | 0.068 |
| Age >75 years | 12 (13) | 15 (46) | <0.001 |
| Male gender | 47 (49) | 13 (39) | 0.317 |
| Symptoms | |||
| Dyspnoea | 62 (65) | 22 (67) | 0.884 |
| Chest symptoms | 59 (62) | 9 (27) | 0.001 |
| Chest pain | 51 (54) | 8 (24) | 0.003 |
| Painful respiration | 31 (33) | 3 (9) | 0.011† |
| Cough | 17 (18) | 12 (36) | 0.029 |
| Haemoptysis | 3 (3) | 1 (3) | 1.000† |
| Signs of DVT | 18 (19) | 1 (3) | 0.025† |
| Fever (>38°C) | 5 (5) | 2 (6) | 1.000† |
| Collapse | 4 (4) | 0 (0) | 0.572† |
| Heart rate, mean (±SD) | 96 (19) | 95 (26) | 0.916 |
| O2 saturation, median (IQR) | 96 (5) | 94 (9) | 0.124 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| COPD and/or asthma | 14 (15) | 13 (39) | 0.004 |
| Hypertension | 25 (26) | 12 (36) | 0.273 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 2 (2) | 2 (6) | 0.273† |
| Congestive heart failure | 3 (3) | 3 (9) | 0.177† |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 10 (11) | 4 (12) | 0.755† |
| Risk factors | |||
| History of DVT | 18 (19) | 8 (24) | 0.515 |
| Recent surgery | 7 (7) | 1 (3) | 0.679† |
| Recent immobilisation | 6 (6) | 0 (0) | 0.338† |
| Recent travelling | 4 (4) | 0 (0) | 0.572† |
| Malignancy | 7 (7) | 3 (9) | 0.717† |
| Oestrogen use, women | 15/48 (31) | 4/20 (20) | 0.393† |
| Prior pulmonary infection | 12 (13) | 11 (33) | 0.008 |
| History of smoking | 26 (27) | 7 (21) | 0.486 |
| Pregnancy | 3/48 (6) | 0/20 (0) | 0.550 |
Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise.
*Missing values (n=3).
†Fisher's exact test
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DVT, deep venous thrombosis; NA, not applicable; PE, pulmonary embolism.