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An Autopsy Study

Israel Rubinstein, MD; David Murray, MD; Victor Hoffstein, PhD, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1988;148(6):1425-1426.

Abstract
• To determine the accuracy of the antemortem diagnosis of major pulmonary embolism, we reviewed 1276 autopsy reports at St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, from 1980 to 1984. Of 44 patients identified with major pulmonary embolism as the cause of death or a major factor contributing to it, 14 (31.8%) had the diagnosis suspected before death. We could not find any distinctive features separating these patients from those in whom the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was not suspected before death. We conclude that major pulmonary embolism is still underdiagnosed in hospitalized patients, despite the availability of lung scanning and pulmonary angiography.

(Arch Intern Med 1988;148:1425-1426)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine (Drs Rubinstein and Hoffstein) and Pathology (Dr Murray), St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto. Dr Rubinstein is now with the School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Jan 25, 1987.

Reprint requests to St Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5B 1W8 (Dr Hoffstein).

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