PESI

Q: In the Full Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Severity Index (PESI), which gender is included? (select one) 

 A) Male 
B) Female 


 Answer: Male

Contrary to popular belief that females are more prone to getting more severe pulmonary embolism, males are found to have a higher risk of more severe PE. 

The full PESI comprises 11 identified points, which were subsequently reduced to 6.

1. Age
2. Male
3. History of cancer
4. Heart failure
5. Chronic lung disease
6. Pulse ≥110/min
7. Systolic blood pressure 
8. Respiratory rate
9. Temperature 
10. Altered mental status
11. Arterial oxygen saturation 

Simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI)

1. Clinical feature
2. Age >80 years
3. History of cancer
4. Chronic cardiopulmonary disease
5. Pulse ≥110/min
6. Systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg
7. Arterial oxygen saturation 

Many online calculators are available to score PESI

#pulmonary

#hemodynamic

#vascular

 
References: 

1. Aujesky D, Obrosky DS, Stone RA, et al. Derivation and validation of a prognostic model for pulmonary embolism. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 172:1041. 

2. Jiménez D, Aujesky D, Moores L, et al. Simplification of the pulmonary embolism severity index for prognostication in patients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism. Arch Intern Med 2010; 170:1383.

3. Hassine M, Kallala MY, Mahjoub M, Boussaada M, Bouchahda N, Gamra H. Embolie pulmonaire: indice de sévérité de l’embolie pulmonaire (ISEP) score et facteurs prédictifs de mortalité [Pulmonary embolism: the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) score and mortality predictors]. Pan Afr Med J. 2023 May 19;45:48. French. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.45.48.39031. PMID: 37575526; PMCID: PMC10422038.