Cafferkey J, Serebriakoff P, de Wit K, Horner DE, Reed MJ. Pulmonary embolism diagnosis: clinical assessment at the front door.
J Accid Emerg Med 2022;
39:945-951. [PMID:
35868848 DOI:
10.1136/emermed-2021-212000]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
This first of two practice reviews addresses pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis considering important aspects of PE clinical presentation and comparing evidence-based PE testing strategies. A companion paper addresses the management of PE. Symptoms and signs of PE are varied, and emergency physicians frequently use testing to 'rule out' the diagnosis in people with respiratory or cardiovascular symptoms. The emergency clinician must balance the benefit of reassuring negative PE testing with the risks of iatrogenic harms from over investigation and overdiagnosis.
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