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Value of the ventilation/perfusion scan in acute pulmonary embolism: Results of the prospective investigation of pulmonary embolism diagnosis (PIOPED)

Journal Article · · JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association; (USA)
OSTI ID:6253263

To determine the sensitivities and specificities of ventilation/perfusion lung scans for acute pulmonary embolism, a random sample of 933 of 1,493 patients was studied prospectively. Nine hundred thirty-one underwent scintigraphy and 755 underwent pulmonary angiography; 251 (33%) of 755 demonstrated pulmonary embolism. Almost all patients with pulmonary embolism had abnormal scans of high, intermediate, or low probability, but so did most without pulmonary embolism. Of 116 patients with high-probability scans and definitive angiograms, 102 (88%) had pulmonary embolism, but only a minority with pulmonary embolism had high-probability scans. Of 322 with intermediate-probability scans and definitive angiograms, 105 (33%) had pulmonary embolism. Follow-up and angiography together suggest pulmonary embolism occurred among 12% of patients with low-probability scans. Clinical assessment combined with the ventilation/perfusion scan established the diagnosis or exclusion of pulmonary embolism only for a minority of patients--those with clear and concordant clinical and ventilation/perfusion scan findings.

OSTI ID:
6253263
Journal Information:
JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association; (USA), Journal Name: JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association; (USA) Vol. 263:20; ISSN 0098-7484; ISSN JAMAA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English