title: Clinical outcomes of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism and low-probability aerosol-perfusion scintigrams.
abstract: The clinical outcomes of 183 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) and a "low probability of PE" interpretation of aerosol-perfusion scintigrams were reviewed. Based in part on the scintigraphic findings, 173 of the patients (94.5%) were not treated with anticoagulants. Over a mean follow-up period of 8.4 months, only one patient (who was from the untreated group) had clinical evidence of PE. These results suggest that a low-probability interpretation of the aerosol-perfusion scintigram is generally reliable and a suitable indicator for clinical decision making in patients suspected of having PE.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Alderson
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D013997:Time Factors; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate