pulmonary embolism, D-dimer test, diagnosis, efficacy, elderly
Conditions
Interventions
Based on an age-adjusted D-dimer level, in combination with an unlikely or low/moderate clinical decision rule, pulmonary embolism will be excluded without further testing
Sponsors
Academic Medical Center in collaboration with centers in The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Belgium
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: All outpatients >50 years admitted to the emergency ward for suspected pulmonary embolism defined as acute onset of new or worsening shortness of breath or chest pain without another obvious etiology will be included in the study, provided they have signed an informed consent form.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. PE suspicion raised more than 24 hours after admission to the hospital; 2. Absence of informed consent; 3. Life expectancy less than 3 months; 4. Geographic inaccessibility for follow-up; 5. Pregnancy; 6. Patients anticoagulated for a disease other than venous thromboembolism (for instance, atrial fibrillation); 7. Patients allergic to contrast medium; 8. Impaired renal function (creatine clearance less than 30 ml/min as calculated by the Cockroft formula).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The number of thromboembolic events in the 3-month follow-up period in patients not anticoagulated on the basis of: 1. A non high clinical probability (simplified revised Geneva score) and a normal new age adjusted D-dimer cut-off, or; 2. A PE considered as "unlikely" (simplified wells score) and a normal new age adjusted D-dimer cut-off. | — |
Contacts
Public ContactP.W. Kamphuisen
Meibergdreef 9
Outcome results
None listed