The Simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) is a clinical tool designed for risk stratification in patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. The primary purpose of the Simplified PESI is to predict 30-day mortality in these patients, thereby guiding clinical decision-making regarding the level of care and treatment strategies.
The primary components of the Simplified PESI include patient age, history of cancer, history of chronic cardiopulmonary disease, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Each of these components is evaluated and contributes to the overall risk score. For instance, patients over 80 years of age, those with a history of cancer or chronic cardiopulmonary disease, heart rate of 110 beats per minute or more, systolic blood pressure less than 100 mmHg, and oxygen saturation less than 90% are considered to have a higher risk of 30-day mortality.
Reference
David Jiménez, Drahomir Aujesky, Lisa Moores et al. Simplification of the pulmonary embolism severity index for prognostication in patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Aug 9;170(15):1383-9.
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