• Paul Buntine, Francis Thien, John Stewart, Yee Ping Woo, Martin Koolstra, Lindsay Bridgford, Mineesh Datta, and Stella M Gwini.
• Eastern Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• Emerg Med Australas. 2019 Apr 1; 31 (2): 216-224.

ObjectiveTo assess the association between the use of a flowchart incorporating Wells score, PERC rule and age-adjusted D-dimer and subsequent imaging and yield rates of computed tomography pulmonary angiogram and nuclear medicine ventilation perfusion scans being ordered in the ED for the assessment of pulmonary embolism.MethodsA flowchart governing ED pulmonary embolism investigation was introduced across three EDs in Melbourne, Australia for a 12 month period. Comparison of pulmonary embolism imaging rates and yield with the preceding 12 months was performed.ResultsA total of 1815 pre-implementation scans were performed compared with 1116 scans post-implementation. Because of growth in patient attendances over this time, this equated to an imaging rate of 14.5 per 1000 presentations pre-implementation and 8.6 per 1000 presentations post-implementation (P < 0.001). Overall pulmonary embolism imaging yield rates rose from 9.9% to 16.5% (P < 0.001). A total of 179 pre-implementation pulmonary embolisms were identified, with an incidence of 1.4 per 1000 presentations. This compared to 184 pulmonary embolisms post-implementation, with an incidence of 1.4 per 1000 presentations (P = 0.994).ConclusionThe introduction of a clinical flowchart incorporating Wells score, PERC rule and age-adjusted D-dimer was associated with an increase in ED computed tomography pulmonary angiogram and nuclear medicine ventilation perfusion yield rate from 9.9% to 16.5% across the three enrolment hospitals when investigating possible pulmonary embolism. This corresponded to a 40% relative reduction in pulmonary embolism imaging. Diagnosis rates remained unchanged and no cases of missed pulmonary embolism attributable to the flowchart were identified.© 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

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