Factors Associated with Pulmonary Embolism-Related Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is 1 of the most frequent cardiovascular diseases. Clinical presentation varies widely from asymptomatic to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).1 Epidemiological data regarding PE-related SCA remain scarce, especially because the diagnosis of PE in resuscitated SCA is challenging. We aimed to describe the characteristics of PE-related SCA in the community.The Sudden Death Expertise Center registry has been previously described.2 It is a population-based registry in Paris and its suburbs (population 6.6 million). Every case of out-of-hospital SCA (unexpected death without extracardiac cause) for people >18 years of age are registered. Appropriate Institutional Review Boards approved the investigation and with waiver of informed consent. Utstein templates for data collection were followed.3 Data were collected on demographics, prehospital care, and in-hospital care. Regarding PE, we collected risk factors, clinical decision rules (Wells rule and Geneva score), and diagnostic strategy (computerized tomography pulmonary angiography and transthoracic/transesophageal echocardiography). The diagnosis of PE was considered definite when (1) identified by computerized tomography pulmonary angiography, (2) right ventricular overload or mobile thrombi in the right heart identified by echocardiography, or (3) confirmed by autopsy. The diagnosis of PE was considered …