title: Pulmonary embolism exclusion: a practical approach to low probability using the PIOPED data. Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis.
abstract: A recent trend among physicians is the categorisation of lung scans as normal [excludes pulmonary embolism (PE)], high probability (confirms PE) and non-diagnostic (no judgement on PE risk). The low probability scan is therefore being eliminated as a functional category. This occasional survey contends that such an approach is misguided. Correction of the original PIOPED data with certain assumptions provides a more reproducible, albeit restricted, low probability scan category which excludes PE in 97% of cases in the low pre-test clinical category. Patients with a low probability scan with risk factors for PE (i.e. medium clinical risk) will require further investigation. More important, the very low probability scan category excludes PE in 98% of patients with low and more than 92% of patients with medium pre-test clinical likelihood. The demise of "low probability" is premature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bessent
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011336:Probability; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging