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Penny E, a 48-year-old woman with a history of asthma, presents with wheezing and respiratory distress. There are no clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis or hemoptysis. PE is not your most likely diagnosis, but it is included in the differential, so you order a D
PE is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after coronary artery disease and stroke, with an estimated incidence in the United States of 1-2/1000 individuals and a 30-day mortality rate between 10% and 30%.2 Improved adherence to a clinical decision support system has been shown to significantly decrease the number of diagnostic tests performed and the number of diagnostic failures.3
A diagnostic algorithm that includes the Wells criteria and a
Further, it is common for a
Three items of the original Wells criteria—clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, hemoptysis, and whether PE is the most likely diagnosis—are the most predictive for PE.8 The development of a more efficient algorithm based on these 3 items that uses differential D
STUDY SUMMARY
Simplified algorithm diagnoses PE with fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study was a prospective cohort study conducted in 12 hospitals in the Netherlands that included 3616 patients with clinically suspected PE.1 A total of 151 patients met exclusion criteria (life expectancy < 3 months, ongoing anticoagulation treatment, pregnancy, and contraindication to CTPA). Investigators managed the remaining 3465 study patients according to the YEARS algorithm, which calls for obtaining a
PE was considered excluded if a patient had a
[polldaddy:10428150]
Continue to: Of the 1743 patients...
Of the 1743 patients who had none of the 3 YEARS items, 1320 had a D
Eighteen of the 2964 patients who had PE ruled out by the YEARS algorithm at baseline were found to have symptomatic VTE during the follow-up period (0.61%), with 6 patients (0.20%) sustaining a fatal PE. The 3-month incidence of VTE in patients who did not have CTPA was 0.43%, which is similar to the 0.34% reported in a previous meta-analysis of the Wells rule algorithm.13 Overall, fatal PE occurred in 0.3% of patients in the YEARS cohort vs 0.6% in a meta-analysis of studies using standard algorithms.14
Using an intention-to-diagnose analysis, 1611 (46%) patients did not have a CTPA indicated by the YEARS algorithm compared with 1174 (34%) using the Wells algorithm, for an absolute difference of 13% and estimated cost savings of $283,176 in this sample. The per-protocol analysis also had a decrease of CTPA examinations in favor of the YEARS algorithm, ruling out 1651 (48%) patients—a decrease of 14% and an estimated savings of $309,096.
WHAT’S NEW
High-level evidence says 14% fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study provides a high level of evidence that a new, simple diagnostic algorithm can reliably and efficiently exclude PE and decrease the need for CTPA by 14% (absolute difference) when compared with using the Wells rule and fixed
CAVEATS
No adjusting D -dimer for age
The YEARS criteria do not consider an age-adjusted
Continue to: CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
None to speak of
We see no challenges to the implementation of this recommendation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The PURLs Surveillance System was supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center For Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
Copyright © 2019. The Family Physicians Inquiries Network. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the Family Physicians Inquiries Network and The Journal of Family Practice (2019;68[5]:286-287,295).
1. van der Hulle T, Cheung WY, Kooij S, et al; YEARS study group. Simplified diagnostic management of suspected pulmonary embolism (the YEARS study): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Lancet. 2017;390:289-297.
2. Beckman MG, Hooper WC, Critchley SE, et al. Venous thromboembolism: a public health concern. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(suppl 4):S495-S501.
3. Douma RA, Mos ICM, Erkens PMG, et al; Prometheus Study Group. Performance of 4 clinical decision rules in the diagnostic management of acute pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:709-718.
4. van Es N, van der Hulle T, van Es J, et al. Wells Rule and d -dimer testing to rule out pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and individual-patient data meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:253-261.
5. Roy P-M, Meyer G, Vielle B, et al; EMDEPU Study Group. Appropriateness of diagnostic management and outcomes of suspected pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:157-164.
6. Newnham M, Stone H, Summerfield R, et al. Performance of algorithms and pre-test probability scores is often overlooked in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. BMJ. 2013;346:f1557.
7. Righini M, Van Es J, Den Exter PL, et al. Age-adjusted d -dimer cutoff levels to rule out pulmonary embolism. JAMA. 2014;311:1117-1124.
8. van Es J, Beenen LFM, Douma RA, et al. A simple decision rule including d -dimer to reduce the need for computed tomography scanning in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;13:1428-1435.
9. Kooiman J, Klok FA, Mos ICM, et al. Incidence and predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy following CT-angiography for clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2010;8:409-411.
10. Sarma A, Heilbrun ME, Conner KE, et al. Radiation and chest CT scan examinations: what do we know? Chest. 2012;142:750-760.
11. Berrington de González A, Mahesh M, Kim KP, et al. Projected cancer risks from computed tomographic scans performed in the United States in 2007. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2071-2077.
12. Verma K, Legnani C, Palareti G. Cost-minimization analysis of venous thromboembolism diagnosis: comparison of standalone imaging with a strategy incorporating d -dimer for exclusion of venous thromboembolism. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2017;1:57-61.
13. Pasha SM, Klok FA, Snoep JD, et al. Safety of excluding acute pulmonary embolism based on an unlikely clinical probability by the Wells rule and normal d -dimer concentration: a meta-analysis. Thromb Res. 2010;125:e123-e127.
14. Mos ICM, Klok FA, Kroft LJM, et al. Safety of ruling out acute pulmonary embolism by normal computed tomography pulmonary angiography in patients with an indication for computed tomography: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Thromb Haemost. 2009;7:1491-1498.
Penny E, a 48-year-old woman with a history of asthma, presents with wheezing and respiratory distress. There are no clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis or hemoptysis. PE is not your most likely diagnosis, but it is included in the differential, so you order a D
PE is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after coronary artery disease and stroke, with an estimated incidence in the United States of 1-2/1000 individuals and a 30-day mortality rate between 10% and 30%.2 Improved adherence to a clinical decision support system has been shown to significantly decrease the number of diagnostic tests performed and the number of diagnostic failures.3
A diagnostic algorithm that includes the Wells criteria and a
Further, it is common for a
Three items of the original Wells criteria—clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, hemoptysis, and whether PE is the most likely diagnosis—are the most predictive for PE.8 The development of a more efficient algorithm based on these 3 items that uses differential D
STUDY SUMMARY
Simplified algorithm diagnoses PE with fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study was a prospective cohort study conducted in 12 hospitals in the Netherlands that included 3616 patients with clinically suspected PE.1 A total of 151 patients met exclusion criteria (life expectancy < 3 months, ongoing anticoagulation treatment, pregnancy, and contraindication to CTPA). Investigators managed the remaining 3465 study patients according to the YEARS algorithm, which calls for obtaining a
PE was considered excluded if a patient had a
[polldaddy:10428150]
Continue to: Of the 1743 patients...
Of the 1743 patients who had none of the 3 YEARS items, 1320 had a D
Eighteen of the 2964 patients who had PE ruled out by the YEARS algorithm at baseline were found to have symptomatic VTE during the follow-up period (0.61%), with 6 patients (0.20%) sustaining a fatal PE. The 3-month incidence of VTE in patients who did not have CTPA was 0.43%, which is similar to the 0.34% reported in a previous meta-analysis of the Wells rule algorithm.13 Overall, fatal PE occurred in 0.3% of patients in the YEARS cohort vs 0.6% in a meta-analysis of studies using standard algorithms.14
Using an intention-to-diagnose analysis, 1611 (46%) patients did not have a CTPA indicated by the YEARS algorithm compared with 1174 (34%) using the Wells algorithm, for an absolute difference of 13% and estimated cost savings of $283,176 in this sample. The per-protocol analysis also had a decrease of CTPA examinations in favor of the YEARS algorithm, ruling out 1651 (48%) patients—a decrease of 14% and an estimated savings of $309,096.
WHAT’S NEW
High-level evidence says 14% fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study provides a high level of evidence that a new, simple diagnostic algorithm can reliably and efficiently exclude PE and decrease the need for CTPA by 14% (absolute difference) when compared with using the Wells rule and fixed
CAVEATS
No adjusting D -dimer for age
The YEARS criteria do not consider an age-adjusted
Continue to: CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
None to speak of
We see no challenges to the implementation of this recommendation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The PURLs Surveillance System was supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center For Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
Copyright © 2019. The Family Physicians Inquiries Network. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the Family Physicians Inquiries Network and The Journal of Family Practice (2019;68[5]:286-287,295).
Penny E, a 48-year-old woman with a history of asthma, presents with wheezing and respiratory distress. There are no clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis or hemoptysis. PE is not your most likely diagnosis, but it is included in the differential, so you order a D
PE is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after coronary artery disease and stroke, with an estimated incidence in the United States of 1-2/1000 individuals and a 30-day mortality rate between 10% and 30%.2 Improved adherence to a clinical decision support system has been shown to significantly decrease the number of diagnostic tests performed and the number of diagnostic failures.3
A diagnostic algorithm that includes the Wells criteria and a
Further, it is common for a
Three items of the original Wells criteria—clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, hemoptysis, and whether PE is the most likely diagnosis—are the most predictive for PE.8 The development of a more efficient algorithm based on these 3 items that uses differential D
STUDY SUMMARY
Simplified algorithm diagnoses PE with fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study was a prospective cohort study conducted in 12 hospitals in the Netherlands that included 3616 patients with clinically suspected PE.1 A total of 151 patients met exclusion criteria (life expectancy < 3 months, ongoing anticoagulation treatment, pregnancy, and contraindication to CTPA). Investigators managed the remaining 3465 study patients according to the YEARS algorithm, which calls for obtaining a
PE was considered excluded if a patient had a
[polldaddy:10428150]
Continue to: Of the 1743 patients...
Of the 1743 patients who had none of the 3 YEARS items, 1320 had a D
Eighteen of the 2964 patients who had PE ruled out by the YEARS algorithm at baseline were found to have symptomatic VTE during the follow-up period (0.61%), with 6 patients (0.20%) sustaining a fatal PE. The 3-month incidence of VTE in patients who did not have CTPA was 0.43%, which is similar to the 0.34% reported in a previous meta-analysis of the Wells rule algorithm.13 Overall, fatal PE occurred in 0.3% of patients in the YEARS cohort vs 0.6% in a meta-analysis of studies using standard algorithms.14
Using an intention-to-diagnose analysis, 1611 (46%) patients did not have a CTPA indicated by the YEARS algorithm compared with 1174 (34%) using the Wells algorithm, for an absolute difference of 13% and estimated cost savings of $283,176 in this sample. The per-protocol analysis also had a decrease of CTPA examinations in favor of the YEARS algorithm, ruling out 1651 (48%) patients—a decrease of 14% and an estimated savings of $309,096.
WHAT’S NEW
High-level evidence says 14% fewer CTPAs
The YEARS study provides a high level of evidence that a new, simple diagnostic algorithm can reliably and efficiently exclude PE and decrease the need for CTPA by 14% (absolute difference) when compared with using the Wells rule and fixed
CAVEATS
No adjusting D -dimer for age
The YEARS criteria do not consider an age-adjusted
Continue to: CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
None to speak of
We see no challenges to the implementation of this recommendation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The PURLs Surveillance System was supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center For Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
Copyright © 2019. The Family Physicians Inquiries Network. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the Family Physicians Inquiries Network and The Journal of Family Practice (2019;68[5]:286-287,295).
1. van der Hulle T, Cheung WY, Kooij S, et al; YEARS study group. Simplified diagnostic management of suspected pulmonary embolism (the YEARS study): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Lancet. 2017;390:289-297.
2. Beckman MG, Hooper WC, Critchley SE, et al. Venous thromboembolism: a public health concern. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(suppl 4):S495-S501.
3. Douma RA, Mos ICM, Erkens PMG, et al; Prometheus Study Group. Performance of 4 clinical decision rules in the diagnostic management of acute pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:709-718.
4. van Es N, van der Hulle T, van Es J, et al. Wells Rule and d -dimer testing to rule out pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and individual-patient data meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:253-261.
5. Roy P-M, Meyer G, Vielle B, et al; EMDEPU Study Group. Appropriateness of diagnostic management and outcomes of suspected pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:157-164.
6. Newnham M, Stone H, Summerfield R, et al. Performance of algorithms and pre-test probability scores is often overlooked in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. BMJ. 2013;346:f1557.
7. Righini M, Van Es J, Den Exter PL, et al. Age-adjusted d -dimer cutoff levels to rule out pulmonary embolism. JAMA. 2014;311:1117-1124.
8. van Es J, Beenen LFM, Douma RA, et al. A simple decision rule including d -dimer to reduce the need for computed tomography scanning in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;13:1428-1435.
9. Kooiman J, Klok FA, Mos ICM, et al. Incidence and predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy following CT-angiography for clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2010;8:409-411.
10. Sarma A, Heilbrun ME, Conner KE, et al. Radiation and chest CT scan examinations: what do we know? Chest. 2012;142:750-760.
11. Berrington de González A, Mahesh M, Kim KP, et al. Projected cancer risks from computed tomographic scans performed in the United States in 2007. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2071-2077.
12. Verma K, Legnani C, Palareti G. Cost-minimization analysis of venous thromboembolism diagnosis: comparison of standalone imaging with a strategy incorporating d -dimer for exclusion of venous thromboembolism. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2017;1:57-61.
13. Pasha SM, Klok FA, Snoep JD, et al. Safety of excluding acute pulmonary embolism based on an unlikely clinical probability by the Wells rule and normal d -dimer concentration: a meta-analysis. Thromb Res. 2010;125:e123-e127.
14. Mos ICM, Klok FA, Kroft LJM, et al. Safety of ruling out acute pulmonary embolism by normal computed tomography pulmonary angiography in patients with an indication for computed tomography: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Thromb Haemost. 2009;7:1491-1498.
1. van der Hulle T, Cheung WY, Kooij S, et al; YEARS study group. Simplified diagnostic management of suspected pulmonary embolism (the YEARS study): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Lancet. 2017;390:289-297.
2. Beckman MG, Hooper WC, Critchley SE, et al. Venous thromboembolism: a public health concern. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(suppl 4):S495-S501.
3. Douma RA, Mos ICM, Erkens PMG, et al; Prometheus Study Group. Performance of 4 clinical decision rules in the diagnostic management of acute pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:709-718.
4. van Es N, van der Hulle T, van Es J, et al. Wells Rule and d -dimer testing to rule out pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and individual-patient data meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:253-261.
5. Roy P-M, Meyer G, Vielle B, et al; EMDEPU Study Group. Appropriateness of diagnostic management and outcomes of suspected pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:157-164.
6. Newnham M, Stone H, Summerfield R, et al. Performance of algorithms and pre-test probability scores is often overlooked in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. BMJ. 2013;346:f1557.
7. Righini M, Van Es J, Den Exter PL, et al. Age-adjusted d -dimer cutoff levels to rule out pulmonary embolism. JAMA. 2014;311:1117-1124.
8. van Es J, Beenen LFM, Douma RA, et al. A simple decision rule including d -dimer to reduce the need for computed tomography scanning in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2015;13:1428-1435.
9. Kooiman J, Klok FA, Mos ICM, et al. Incidence and predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy following CT-angiography for clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism. J Thromb Haemost. 2010;8:409-411.
10. Sarma A, Heilbrun ME, Conner KE, et al. Radiation and chest CT scan examinations: what do we know? Chest. 2012;142:750-760.
11. Berrington de González A, Mahesh M, Kim KP, et al. Projected cancer risks from computed tomographic scans performed in the United States in 2007. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2071-2077.
12. Verma K, Legnani C, Palareti G. Cost-minimization analysis of venous thromboembolism diagnosis: comparison of standalone imaging with a strategy incorporating d -dimer for exclusion of venous thromboembolism. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2017;1:57-61.
13. Pasha SM, Klok FA, Snoep JD, et al. Safety of excluding acute pulmonary embolism based on an unlikely clinical probability by the Wells rule and normal d -dimer concentration: a meta-analysis. Thromb Res. 2010;125:e123-e127.
14. Mos ICM, Klok FA, Kroft LJM, et al. Safety of ruling out acute pulmonary embolism by normal computed tomography pulmonary angiography in patients with an indication for computed tomography: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Thromb Haemost. 2009;7:1491-1498.
