Safety of excluding acute pulmonary embolism based on an unlikely clinical probability by the Wells rule and normal D-dimer concentration: A meta-analysis

2010 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. e123-e127 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Pasha ◽  
F.A. Klok ◽  
J.D. Snoep ◽  
I.C.M. Mos ◽  
R.J. Goekoop ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Acute Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Probability ◽  
Wells Rule ◽  
D Dimer

Is a normal computed tomography pulmonary angiography safe to rule out acute pulmonary embolism in patients with a likely clinical probability?

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (08) ◽  
pp. 1622-1629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom van der Hulle ◽  
Nick van Es ◽  
Paul den Exter ◽  
Josien van Es ◽  
Inge Mos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Acute Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pulmonary Angiography ◽  
Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography ◽  
Clinical Probability ◽  
Pulmonary Angiogram ◽  
Wells Rule ◽  
Rule Out

SummaryA normal computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) remains a controversial criterion for ruling out acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with a likely clinical probability. We set out to determine the risk of VTE and fatal PE after a normal CTPA in this patient category and compare these risk to those after a normal pulmonary angiogram of 1.7% (95%CI 1.0–2.7%) and 0.3% (95%CI 0.02–0.7%). A patient-level meta-analysis from 4 prospective diagnostic management studies that sequentially applied the Wells rule, D-dimer tests and CTPA to consecutive patients with clinically suspected acute PE. The primary outcome was the 3-month VTE incidence after a normal CTPA. A total of 6,148 patients were included with an overall PE prevalence of 24%. The 3-month VTE incidence in all 4,421 patients in whom PE was excluded at baseline was 1.2% (95%CI 0.48–2.6) and the risk of fatal PE was 0.11% (95%CI 0.02–0.70). In patients with a likely clinical probability the 3-month incidences of VTE and fatal PE were 2.0% (95%CI 1.0–4.1%) and 0.48% (95%CI 0.20–1.1%) after a normal CTPA. The 3-month incidence of VTE was 6.3% (95%CI 3.0–12) in patients with a Wells rule >6 points. In conclusion, this study suggests that a normal CTPA may be considered as a valid diagnostic criterion to rule out PE in the majority of patients with a likely clinical probability, although the risk of VTE is higher in subgroups such as patients with a Wells rule >6 points for which a closer follow-up should be considered.Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.

scholarly journals Wells’ Score in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism in Patient with Thrombocytopenia: A Case Report

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-285
Author(s):  
Dragan Panic ◽  
Andreja Todorovic ◽  
Milica Stanojevic ◽  
Violeta Iric Cupic
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Acute Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Pretest Probability ◽  
Clinical Prediction ◽  
Clinical Prediction Rules ◽  
Prediction Rules ◽  
Clinical Probability ◽  
Wells Score ◽  
D Dimer

Abstract Current diagnostic workup of patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE) usually starts with the assessment of clinical pretest probability, using clinical prediction rules and plasma D-dimer measurement. Although an accurate diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients is thus of crucial importance, the diagnostic management of suspected PE is still challenging. A 60-year-old man with chest pain and expectoration of blood was admitted to the Department of Cardiology, General Hospital in Cuprija, Serbia. After physical examination and laboratory analyses, the diagnosis of Right side pleuropne monia and acute pulmonary embolism was established. Clinically, patient was hemodynamically stable, auscultative slightly weaker respiratory sound right basal, without pretibial edema. Laboratory: C-reactive protein (CRP) 132.9 mg/L, Leukocytes (Le) 18.9x109/L, Erythrocytes (Er) 3.23x1012/L, Haemoglobin (Hgb) 113 g/L, Platelets (Plt) 79x109/L, D-dimer 35.2. On the third day after admission, D-dimer was increased and platelet count was decreased (Plt up to 62x109/L). According to Wells’ rules, score was 2.5 (without symptoms on admission), a normal clinical finding with clinical manifestation of hemoptysis and chest pain, which represents the intermediate level of clinical probability of PE. After the recidive of PE, Wells’ score was 6.5. In summary, this study suggests that Wells’ score, based on a patient’s risk for pulmonary embolism, is a valuable guidance for decision-making in combination with knowledge and experience of clinicians. Clinicians should use validated clinical prediction rules to estimate pretest probability in patients in whom acute PE is being consiered.

Safety and Clinical Utility of Four Clinical Decision Rules In the Diagnostic Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism – the Prometheus Diagnosis Study

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3186-3186
Author(s):  
Inge CM Mos ◽  
Renée A Douma ◽  
Petra MG Erkens ◽  
Tessa AC Nizet ◽  
Marc F Durian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Acute Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Clinical Decision Rules ◽  
Wells Rule ◽  
Revised Geneva Score ◽  
Acute Pe ◽  
D Dimer

Abstract Abstract 3186 Background Several clinical decision rules (CDRs) are available for the exclusion of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). This prospective multi-center study compared the safety and clinical utility of four CDRs (Wells rule, revised Geneva score, simplified Wells rule and simplified revised Geneva score) in excluding PE in combination with D-dimer testing. Methods Clinical probability of patients with suspected acute PE was assessed using a computerized based “black box”, which calculated all CDRs and indicated the next diagnostic step. A “PE unlikely” result according to all CDRs in combination with a normal D-dimer result excluded PE, while patients with “PE likely” according to at least one of the CDRs or an abnormal D-dimer result underwent CT-scanning. Patients in whom PE was excluded were followed for three months. Results 807 consecutive patients were included and PE prevalence was 23%. The number of patients categorized as “PE unlikely” ranged from 62% (simplified Wells rule) to 72% (Wells rule). Combined with a normal D-dimer level, the CDRs excluded PE in 22–24% of patients. The total failure rates of the CDR-D-dimer combinations were similar (1 failure, 0.5– 0.6%, upper 95% CI 2.9– 3.1%). Despite 30% of the patients had discordant CDR outcomes, PE was missed in none of the patients with discordant CDRs and a normal D-dimer result. Conclusions All four CDRs show similar safety and clinical utility for exclusion of acute PE in combination with a normal D-dimer level. With this prospective validation, the more straightforward simplified scores are ready for use in clinical practice. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The Performance of the Original and Simplified Wells Scores in Combination with Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Testing in the Diagnostic Management of Pulmonary Embolism

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 2569-2569
Author(s):  
Noémie Kraaijpoel ◽  
Nick van Es ◽  
Harry R Büller ◽  
Frederikus A Klok ◽  
Menno V Huisman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Failure Rate ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Grant Support ◽  
Diagnostic Management ◽  
Wells Score ◽  
Wells Rule ◽  
Discriminatory Performance ◽  
D Dimer

Abstract Background: Among patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), imaging can be safely withheld in those with a 'PE unlikely' Wells score and a negative D-dimer. A simplification of the Wells score has been proposed to improve clinical applicability (Table 1), but its performance is less clear, in particular in combination with age-adjusted D-dimer testing. Objectives: To compare the performance of the original and simplified Wells scores alone and in combination with age-adjusted D-dimer testing. Methods: Individual patient data from 7,268 patients with clinically suspected PE enrolled in 6 prospective diagnostic management studies were used. The discriminatory performance, calibration, and diagnostic accuracy of the original and simplified Wells scores were evaluated. The efficiency and failure rate of both dichotomized scores combined with age-adjusted D-dimer testing were compared using a one-stage random effects meta-analysis. Efficiency was defined as the proportion of patients in whom PE could be considered excluded based on a 'PE unlikely' Wells score and a D-dimer below the age-adjusted treshold, defined as ≤500 µg/L in patients of 50 years or younger and the patient's age times 10 µg/L in those older than 50 years. The failure rate was defined as the proportion of patients subsequently diagnosed with symptomatic venous thromboembolism during 3-month follow-up. Results: The discriminatory performance of the original and simplified Wells scores was comparable (c-statistic 0.73 [95% CI 0.72-0.75] vs. 0.72 [95% CI 0.70-0.73]). When combined with age-adjusted D-dimer testing, the original and simplified Wells rules had comparable efficiency (33% [95% CI 25-42%] vs 30% [95% CI 21-40%]) and failure rates (0.9% [95% CI 0.6-1.5%] vs. 0.8% [95% CI 0.5-1.3%]). Conclusion: Among patients with suspected PE, the original and simplified Wells rules in combination with age-adjusted D-dimer testing have similar performance in ruling out the disease. Given its ease of use in clinical practice, the simplified Wells rule may be preferred. Disclosures Huisman: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co.KG: Other: Grant support; GlaxoSmithKline: Other: Grant support; Bayer HealthCare: Other: Grant support; Pfizer: Other: Grant support; Actelion: Other: Grant support.

scholarly journals Validity and clinical utility of the simplified Wells rule for assessing clinical probability for the exclusion of pulmonary embolism

2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (01) ◽  
pp. 197-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Gibson ◽  
Victor Gerdes ◽  
Harry Büller ◽  
Philip Wells ◽  
Arnaud Perrier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Multicenter Cohort Study ◽  
Clinical Probability ◽  
Multicenter Cohort ◽  
Wells Rule ◽  
D Dimer

SummaryThe recently introduced simplified Wells rule for the exclusion of pulmonary embolism (PE) assigns only one point to the seven variables of the original Wells rule. This study was performed to independently validate the simplified Wells rule for the exclusion of PE. We retrospectively calculated the prevalence of PE in the “unlikely” probability categories of the original Wells (cut-off ≤4) and the simplified Wells rule (cut-off ≤1) in 922 consecutive patients with clinically suspected PE from a multicenter cohort study. We compared the three-month incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with an unlikely probability and a normal D-dimer test using both scores, and the proportion of patients with this combination (clinical utility). The proportion of patients categorized as PE “unlikely” was similar using the original (78%) and the simplified (70%) Wells rule. The prevalence of PE was 13% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11–16%) and 12% (95%CI, 9.7–15%) for the original Wells and simplified Wells “unlikely” categories, respectively. None of the patients with PE “unlikely” and a normal D-dimer test experienced VTE during three-month follow-up. The proportions of patients in whom further tests could safely be withheld based on PE “unlikely” and a normal D-dimer test was 28% (95%CI, 25–31%) using the original and 26% (95%CI, 24–29%) using the simplified Wells rule. In this external retrospective validation study, the simplified Wells rule appeared to be safe and clinically useful, although prospective validation remains necessary. Simplification of the Wells rule may enhance the applicability.

scholarly journals Age-Adjusted D-Dimer in the Prediction of Pulmonary Embolism: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110549
Author(s):  
Kenneth Iwuji ◽  
Hasan Almekdash ◽  
Kenneth M. Nugent ◽  
Ebtesam Islam ◽  
Briget Hyde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
False Positive Rate ◽  
Reference List ◽  
Suspected Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Clinical Probability ◽  
Cutoff Values ◽  
D Dimer

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE), depending on the severity, carries a high mortality and morbidity. Proper evaluation, especially in patients with low probability for PE, is important to avoid unnecessary diagnostic testing. Objective: To review the diagnostic utility of conventional versus age-adjusted D-dimer cutoff values in patients 50 years and older with suspected pulmonary embolism. Methods: Systematic review with univariant and bivariant meta-analysis. Data sources: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, and EBSCO for studies published before September 20th, 2020. We cross checked the reference list of relevant studies that compares conventional versus age-adjusted D-dimer cutoff values in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. Study selection: We included primary published studies that compared both conventional (500 µg/L) and age-adjusted (age × 10 µg/L) cutoff values in patients with non-high clinical probability for pulmonary embolism. Results: Nine cohorts that included 47 720 patients with non-high clinical probability were included in the meta-analysis. Both Age-adjusted D-dimer and conventional D-dimer have high sensitivity. However, conventional D-dimer has higher false positive rate than age-adjusted D-dimer. Conclusion: Age-adjusted D-dimer cutoffs combined with low risk clinical probability assessment ruled out PE diagnosis in suspected patients with a decreased rate of false positive tests.

Tissue plasminogen activator as a novel diagnostic aid in acute pulmonary embolism

VASA ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Flores ◽  
Ángel García-Avello ◽  
Esther Alonso ◽  
Antonio Ruíz ◽  
Olga Navarrete ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Acute Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Diagnostic Utility ◽  
Tissue Plasminogen ◽  
D Dimer

Background: We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared it with an ELISA D-dimer (VIDAS D-dimer) in acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients and methods: We studied 127 consecutive outpatients with clinically suspected PE. The diagnosis of PE was based on a clinical probability pretest for PE and a strict protocol of imaging studies. A plasma sample to measure the levels of tPA and D-dimer was obtained at enrollment. Diagnostic accuracy for tPA and D-dimer was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and the diagnostic utility of tPA with a cutoff of 8.5 ng/mL and D-dimer with a cutoff of 500 ng/mL, were calculated for PE diagnosis. Results: PE was confirmed in 41 patients (32 %). Areas under ROC curves were 0.86 for D-dimer and 0.71 for tPA. The sensitivity/negative predictive value for D-dimer using a cutoff of 500 ng/mL, and tPA using a cutoff of 8.5 ng/mL, were 95 % (95 % CI, 88–100 %)/95 % (95 % CI, 88–100 %) and 95 % (95 % CI, 88–100 %)/94 %), respectively. The diagnostic utility to exclude PE was 28.3 % (95 % CI, 21–37 %) for D-dimer and 24.4 % (95 % CI, 17–33 %) for tPA. Conclusions: The tPA with a cutoff of 8.5 ng/mL has a high sensitivity and negative predictive value for exclusion of PE, similar to those observed for the VIDAS D-dimer with a cutoff of 500 ng/mL, although the diagnostic utility was slightly higher for the D-dimer.

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