PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Aymen Ayari
AU  - Nawel Chaouch
AU  - Sawssen Bacha
AU  - Nouha Kortas
AU  - Hajer Racil
AU  - Sana Cheikh Rouhou
AU  - Abdellatif Chabbou
TI  - Isolated hypocapnia: A sign not to be neglected
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P2308
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2308.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2308.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - In pulmonary embolism (PE) hypocapnia is frequent and due to hyperventilation in response to hypoxemia. But unspecific clinical presentation with isolated hypocapnia and without hypoxemia were described.To study clinical feature of PE with a normal arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) but hypocapnia, we analyzed all cases of PE hospitalized in our department from January 2009 until December 2012. Only patients presenting PE and hypocapnia without hypoxemia were included. All PE cases were confirmed by CT angiography.On 80 cases of PE only 15 patients met criteria (18.75%). All patients were men and 12 were smokers. Median age was 56.13 years. All cases had no suspected high risk PE. It was discovered incidentally in 8 cases. In the other cases the most frequent clinical signs were dyspnea, tachypnea and chest pain. Mean Pa O2 was 83mmHg and mean Pa CO2 was 27.4mmHg (26-34). PE was bilateral in 6 cases. Mean vascular obstruction index was 13.5% (5-22). PE was associated to lung cancer in 7 cases, COPD in 2 cases and IPF in 1 case. No underlying lung disease was found in 5 cases. PE Outcome was favorable in all cases.PE with hypocapnia without hypoxemia is not scarce. It occurs often in relatively low high risk forms. Isolated hypocapnia should lead to evoke PE especially in patients with chronic lung disease.