Deferral of assessment of pulmonary embolism.
We evaluated a simplified algorithm for safely postponing diagnostic imaging for pulmonary embolism (PE). At the index visit, patients were identified as being at high or low risk of PE; the former received full dosage low molecular weight heparin while the latter were left untreated until performance of diagnostic imaging (max 72 hours). During this period, no thromboembolic events occurred in low-risk patients (0/211, 0.% [upper 95% CI 0.9%]); only one event occurred in those at high-risk (1/125, 0.8% [upper 95% CI, 1.2]). Our study demonstrates that diagnostic imaging for PE can be safely deferred for up to 3 days.
Siragusa
Sergio
S
U.O di Ematologia con trapianto, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico Paolo Giaccone, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. sergio.siragusa @unipa.it
Malato
Alessandra
A
Falaschi
Francesco
F
Porro
Fernando
F
Anastasio
Raffaela
R
Giarratano
Antonino
A
Lo Coco
Lucio
L
Buonanno
Maria Cristina
MC
Maggi
Elena
E
Bressan
Maria Antonietta
MA
Mariani
Guglielmo
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012306:Risk; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013997:Time Factors; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio
D000925:Anticoagulants; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D