Application of the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC rule) and age-adjusted D-Dimer in patients undergoing computed tomography pulmonary angiography for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

Autor: John Jaime Sprockel Diaz, Luz Amaya Veronesi Zuluaga, Diana Carolina Coral Coral, Diana Marcela Fierro Rodriguez
Jazyk: English<br />Portuguese
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Jornal Vascular Brasileiro, Vol 22 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1677-7301
1677-5449
DOI: 10.1590/1677-5449.202200222
Popis: Abstract Background Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) constitutes a challenge for practitioners. Current practice involves use of pre-test probability prediction rules. Several strategies to optimize this process have been explored. Objectives To explore whether application of the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC rule) and age-adjusted D-dimer (DD) would have reduced the number of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examinations performed in patients with suspected PE. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study of adult patients taken for CTPA under suspicion of PE in 2018 and 2020. The PERC rule and age-adjusted DD were applied. The number of cases without indications for imaging studies was estimated and the operational characteristics for diagnosis of PE were calculated. Results 302 patients were included. PE was diagnosed in 29.8%. Only 27.2% of ‘not probable’ cases according to the Wells criteria had D-dimer assays. Age adjustment would have reduced tomography use by 11.1%, with an AUC of 0.5. The PERC rule would have reduced use by 7%, with an AUC of 0.72. Conclusions Application of age-adjusted D-dimer and the PERC rule to patients taken for CTPA because of suspected PE seems to reduce the number of indications for the procedure.
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