An study on significance of clinical scales in diagnosis for pulmonary embolism / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess diagnostic value of Wells and Geneva seales in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism(PE).Methods Clinical data of 958 consecutive cases of suspected PE admitted to Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital form January 1,1995 to January 1,2009,were analyzed retrospectively,and all patients were assessed with Wells and Geneva scales,respectively for likelihood of PE,as compared to those diagnosed by lung imaging Results Three hundred and forty-seven patients with PE were diagnosed with lung imaging as gold standard,sensitivity,specificity,and positive and negative predictive values for Wells scale and Geneva scale in diagnosis for PE were 82.4%,58.1%,52.8%and 85.3%.and 88.8%,55.3%,53.1%and 89.7%,respectively,with positive and negative likelihood ratios.Youden index and crude agreement of 1.97,0.30,0.41 and 0.21,and 1.99,0.20,0.44 and 0.25.respectively.Area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve of Geneva scale(0.79)was significantly more than that of Wells scale(0.73)(Z=2.25,P＜0.05).As compared to Wells scale,sensitivity and specificity for Geneva scale in diagnosis for PE was significantly higher(χ2=7.12 and 6.84,respectively,P＜0.05).Conclusions Although there is a considerable gap in accuracy between clinical scales and lung imaging in diagnosis for PE.both Wells and Geneva scales can be used in clinical screening for PE to save unnecessary cost.however,Geneva scale is more practical and accurate than Wells scale,worthwhile to be popularized clinically.