Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases
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Data concerning the rate of pulmonary embolism (PE) in Asian patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation are sparse, and no study has shown predictors of PE in these patients. ⋯ PE comprises approximately 5% of the etiologies of COPD exacerbations in Koreans. The absence of symptoms suggestive of respiratory infection and elevated plasma D-dimer levels were significant predictors of PE in this population.