Lung embolisms in a surgical patient sample. A retrospective study over 9 years

In a retrospective study of surgical patients during a period of 9 years 296 cases of pulmonary embolism were recorded by analysing autopsy findings and perfusion pulmonary scans. The frequency of pulmonary embolism among patients who underwent a surgical procedure was 0.55%, the frequency of lethal pulmonary embolism was 0.15%. In autopsy disseminated micro-pulmonary embolism were often found (n = 129, 44%). With regard on the preceding operation a high frequency of pulmonary embolism after septic abdominal surgery (1.5%) and vascular surgery (0.9%) became obvious, especially after operations on the abdominal or thoracic aorta (2.1 resp. 4.8%). In 198 cases venous thrombosis were found. 104 (52%) of these were located in the cranial venous system and in 46 patients there was a connection to the site of central venous lines.