Trends in Discharge Rates for Acute Pulmonary Embolism in U.S. Emergency Departments

BACKGROUND Outpatient management of select patients with low-risk acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has been proven to be safe and effective, yet recent evidence suggests that patients are still managed with hospitalization. Few studies have assessed contemporary real-world trends in discharge rates from U.S. emergency departments (EDs) for acute PE. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the proportion of discharges from EDs for acute PE changed between 2012 and 2020 and which baseline characteristics are associated with ED discharge. DESIGN Serial cross-sectional analysis. SETTING U.S. EDs participating in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. PATIENTS Patients with ED visits for acute PE between 2012 and 2020. MEASUREMENTS National trends in the proportion of discharges for acute PE and factors associated with ED discharge. RESULTS Between 2012 and 2020, there were approximately 1 635 300 visits for acute PE. Overall, ED discharge rates remained constant over time, with rates of 38.2% (95% CI, 17.9% to 64.0%) between 2012 and 2014 and 33.4% (CI, 21.0% to 49.0%) between 2018 and 2020 (adjusted risk ratio, 1.01 per year [CI, 0.89 to 1.14]). No baseline characteristics, including established risk stratification scores, were predictive of an increased likelihood of ED discharge; however, patients at teaching hospitals and those with private insurance were more likely to receive oral anticoagulation at discharge. Only 35.9% (CI, 23.9% to 50.0%) of patients who were considered low-risk according to their Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) class, 33.1% (CI, 21.6% to 47.0%) according to simplified PESI score, and 34.8% (CI, 23.3% to 48.0%) according to hemodynamic stability were discharged from the ED setting. LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional survey design and inability to adjudicate diagnoses. CONCLUSION In a representative nationwide sample, rates of discharge from the ED for acute PE appear to have remained constant between 2012 and 2020. Only one third of low-risk patients were discharged for outpatient management, and rates seem to have stabilized. Outpatient management of low-risk acute PE may still be largely underutilized in the United States. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE None.