ABSTRACT
Rates of diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in elderly patients (70 years or
older) in the United States increased by 44% from 454 DVT/100,000 population in 1990
to 655 DVT/100,000 population in 1999 (1). DVT was diagnosed 4.7 times more
frequently in elderly patients than in younger patients (20 to 69 years). Contrary to DVT,
the rate of diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) decreased from 370 PE/100,000
population in 1979 to 254 PE/100,000 population in 1990 and then remained constant
from 1990 to 1999. The rates of diagnosis of DVT or PE in elderly men and women, and
elderly blacks and whites were comparable (1). The diagnosis of PE in patients 70 years
or older was 6.2 times the rate in younger patients.
