Publication Date:
2004-11-16
Description:
Background: Several strategies for managing patients with suspected PE have been validated. However, most of these strategies are complicated, involving multiple rounds of tests, and are thus, time consuming, costly and difficult to apply in clinical practice. Aiming to introduce a simple, fast and cost-effective strategy, we adopted a new diagnostic approach combining clinical probability assessment, D-Dimer and multi-slice spiral CT (MSSCT) scanning. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of this management strategy by a prospective outcome study with 3-month follow-up. Methods: 495 consecutive patients referred to the Emergency Department at Østfold Hospital, Fredrikstad, Norway, for suspected PE, between Feb 2002 and Dec 2003, were considered for inclusion. 63 (12.7%) patients were excluded and the final cohort consisted of 432 patients. Patients were managed by serial non-invasive testing starting with D-Dimer test. Normal plasma D-Dimer (Liatest, latex agglutination assay, Stago-France, cut-off
Print ISSN:
0006-4971
Electronic ISSN:
1528-0020
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
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