PULMONARY-EMBOLISM IN NEUROSURGICAL PATIENTS

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism continues to be a frequent cause of morb idity and mortality in neurosurgical practice. This study was designed to investigate the presence of signs and/or symptoms helpful for an e arly diagnosis of pulmonary embolism and to evaluate the safety of hep arin treatment in neurosurgical patients. METHOD We retrospectively re viewed 37 patients with pulmonary embolism among 6081 operated patient s within the past 8 years at the Department of Neurosurgery, Universit y of Hacettepe. RESULTS The overall incidence of pulmonary embolism wa s 0.42% and the mortality rate was 59.4%. The patients with cerebrovas cular lesions had a significantly higher risk of pulmonary embolism co mpared with other neurosurgical pathologies. All patients were treated with heparin and subsequent oral warfarin therapy. None had intracran ial or intraspinal bleeding while receiving anticoagulant therapy. CON CLUSIONS This study demonstrates that pulmonary embolism has a high mo rtality rate and heparin therapy can be used safely and without fear o f intracranial or intraspinal bleeding.