D-dimer/high sensitive troponin I ratio is useful in predicting in-hospital mortality in pulmonary embolism patients

Pulmonary embolism requires careful differential diagnosis as it is associated with a wide range of symptoms that may suggest different diseases such as chest pain, shortness of breath and syncope. Since the disease can be fatal, especially in cases where right ventricular failure and hemodynamic instability develop, prognostic markers are great importance in terms of monitoring the patient during the treatment process.

We aimed in our study to compare the relationship between the ratio of D-dimer and High Sensitive Troponin T (HsTnT) values ​​with short-term mortality and to compare this relationship with Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) scoring.

Our study was conducted with patients who applied to the emergency department of our hospital between 01/01/2022 and 01/01/2023 and were definitively diagnosed with Pulmonary thromboembolism after their evaluation.

The success of D-dimer/HsTroponin, D-dimer/CK-MB and troponin/D-dimer indices calculated from the laboratory test results of the cases in predicting mortality was examined, and a comparison was made with the success of the PESI score in predicting mortality. Among these indices, D-dimer/CK-MB was found to be the most successful index in predicting 7-day mortality (AUC: 0.734; 95% CI: 0.653-0.815; p < 0.001). Additionally, the D-dimer/HsTroponin ratio was found to be statistically significant as a successful index in predicting 7-day mortality (AUC: 0.697; 95% CI: 0.621-0.774; p < 0.001).

FD-dimer/HsTroponin ratio, which is a powerful, fast, low-cost, easy and simple test, can be used especially in emergency services instead of the PESI score as a mortality marker in pulmonary embolism, which has a high mortality rate.