Abstract
Background: Data assessing specific risk factors for post-traumatic pulmonary embolism (PE) are scarce.Methods: This was a nested case-control study using the Japan Trauma Data Bank between 2004 and 2017. We enrolled patients aged ≥ 16 years, Injury Severity Score ≥ 9, and length of hospital stay ≥ 2 days, with PE and without PE, using propensity score matching. We conducted logistic regression analyses to examine risk factors for PE.Results: We included 719 patients with PE and 3,595 patients without PE. Of these patients, 1,864 [43.2%] were male, and their median Interquartile Range (IQR) age was 73 [55–84] years. The major mechanism of injury was blunt (4,282 [99.3%]). Median [IQR] Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 10 [9–18]. In the multivariate analysis, the variables spinal injury [odds ratio (OR), 1.40 (1.03–1.89)]; long bone open fracture in upper extremity and lower extremity [OR, 1.51 (1.06–2.15) and OR, 3.69 (2.89–4.71), respectively]; central vein catheter [OR, 2.17 (1.44–3.27)]; and any surgery [OR, 4.48 (3.46–5.81)] were independently associated with PE.Conclusions: Spinal injury, long bone open fracture in extremities, central vein catheter placement, and any surgery were risk factors for post-traumatic PE.