Pulmonary embolism in Africans

The clinical and autopsy records of 54 cases of pulmanary embolism seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital over the period 1966-1972 are analysed. The incidence of pulmonary embolism during this period was 0.1 per cent of all patients admitted, and there was a 78 per cent mortality. The primary medical condition associated with pulmonary embolism is heart disease. Sex has little influence on the liability to pulmonary embolism. Age has a pronounced influence, the incidence increases steadily after the age of 40. Medical cases are more liable than surgical cases to suffer from pulmonary embolism in each age group. The view is expressed that pulmonary embolism is not rare in Africans. Our results support the opinion that the possession of the haemoglobin S predisposes although the final veridct must await the result of a larger prospective study.