Hospital volume and outcomes for acute pulmonary embolism: multinational population based cohort study

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the association between experience in the management of acute pulmonary embolism, reflected by hospital case volume, and mortality.DesignMultinational population based cohort study using data from the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) registry between 1 January 2001 and 31 August 2018.Setting353 hospitals in 16 countries.Participants39 257 consecutive patients with confirmed diagnosis of acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.Main outcome measurePulmonary embolism related mortality within 30 days after diagnosis of the condition.ResultsPatients with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism admitted to high volume hospitals (>40 pulmonary embolisms per year) had a higher burden of comorbidities. A significant inverse association was seen between annual hospital volume and pulmonary embolism related mortality. Admission to hospitals in the highest quarter (that is, >40 pulmonary embolisms per year) was associated with a 44% reduction in the adjusted odds of pulmonary embolism related mortality at 30 days compared with admission to hospitals in the lowest quarter (