[Pulmonary embolism and preventive anticoagulant treatment in hospitalized elderly patients. Statistical study of...

Pulmonary embolism and preventive anticoagulant therapy of ederly patients in hospital. Statistical survey of their respective risks. The incidence of pulmonary embolism as a cause of death seems the higher as its strikes old people (above 60) affected by cardiovascular diseases and who are bed tied; the interest of preventive anticoagulant treatment (PAT) remains controversial. This matter has been studied over a period of 5 years from the files of a geriatric cardiology department; 455 anatomo-clinical documents have been set up. This survey confirms the frequency of mortality by pulmonary embolism (23,9 %) and its diminution under long-term preventive anticoagulant treatment 6,6 %). The anticoagulant therapy does not increase the risk of haemorrhagic accidents, from the point of view of frequency, but slightly increases it if one considers the number of days spent in hospital. As a conclusion, the preventive anticoagulant treatment seems positive insofar as contra-indications are strictly observed, in particular the digestive ones. The mechanism of some hemorrhagic accidents with or without PAT remains sometimes difficult to explain.