Survey on the use of pulmonary scintigraphy and angiography for suspected pulmonary thromboembolism in the UK.
A survey of UK radiologists in 360 acute hospitals was undertaken to assess the current use of pulmonary angiography and radionuclide lung scanning in the investigation of suspected pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Replies were received from 340 (94%) hospitals, of which 48 (out of 50) were teaching hospitals or centres which perform cardiothoracic surgery. Lung scintigraphy was provided by 200 (59%) hospitals and angiography by 120 (35%), with 99 (29%) providing both. Twenty-two hospitals which could undertake angiography had not performed more than one angiogram for suspected PTE in the preceding 3 years. Average numbers of lung scans performed in each hospital were 21.8 per month, in contrast with an average of 4.1 angiograms (including digital subtraction angiography) per year performed for suspected PTE over the previous 3 years. The total number of V/Q lung scans performed for the diagnosis of PTE per year was approximately 47,000 compared with 490 pulmonary angiograms.
Cooper
T J
TJ
Department of Medicine, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital.
Hayward
M W
MW
Hartog
M
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D006113:United Kingdom