Predictive accuracy of years score in diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

Abstract

Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a sudden obstruction of pulmonary arteries usually associated with a high rate of mortality due to acute right ventricular failure. Early diagnosis is of much importance because most patients die within the first hours of presentation. Emergency management is usually highly valuable and right heart failure is potentially reversible. Multidetector computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the best diagnostic imaging modality to document acute pulmonary embolism. Overuse of CTPA increases the unrequired risk of radiation exposure, increasing the risk of malignancy, contrast-related anaphylaxis, and acute kidney injury. To abolish these issues, the simplified score for suspected acute pulmonary embolism using variable D dimer cut-off value in combination with clinical signs can exclude pulmonary embolism safely. Aim of the study To evaluate the predictive accuracy of YEARS score in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism compared to CTPA that might lead to a decrease in the overuse of CTPA. Methods The study was held at the chest unit in Kasr ElAini hospitals. It included 50 patients, for which full history, examination, calculation of wells score, D-dimer, YEARS score, and CTPA were done. Results The results showed that the YEARS score succeeded in predicting the presence or the absence of PE in 80% of the 50 enrolled patients in our study. YEARS score has a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 65%. Conclusion Patients with zero YEARS score and D-dimer ≥ 1000 ng/ml as well as those with ≥ 1 YEARS score and D-dimer ≥ 500 ng/ml are rendered PE likely by the YEARS algorithm with a sensitivity of 90%. Using years score, we can exclude pulmonary embolism in patients with zero YEARS score and a D-dimer ˂ 1000 ng/ml as well as in patients with ≥ 1 YEARS score and D-dimer ˂ 500 ng/ml with 65% specificity, thus decreasing overuse of CTPA in the diagnosis of PE.