Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism in the context of Common Alternative diagNoses in primary care; the PECAN study.
Patients with complaints that are suspected of a pulmonary embolism – e.g., shortness of breath or coughing up blood – often visit their GP first. Because these complaints can also be associated with other (less serious) diseases, it is difficult for GPs to distinguish between a pulmonary embolism and other diseases. For this purpose, the GP uses a questionnaire, in combination with a blood test. However, this questionnaire and blood test regularly lead to 'false alarms', causing patients to be unnecessarily sent to hospital.
Aim
In this project we investigated a new way of working. With this method, the GP uses the blood test more intelligently.
Results
Our research showed that in this way the GP can safely rule-out pulmonary embolism in 8 out of 10 patients. In the other 2 out of 10 patients that the GP refers for further investigation, the risk of a pulmonary embolism is high - namely 25% - which means that a referral is indeed necessary for them.
Recommendations
The most important recommendation from the PECAN project is that general practitioners can safely and efficiently exclude a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in suspected patients when using the YEARS criteria. This implies that we can recommend the YEARS criteria for use in general practice.
Features
- Project number:
-
839110020
- Duration: 100% Duration: 100 %
-
20172023
- Part of programme:
- Related funding round:
- Project lead and secretary:
-
dr. G.J. Geersing
- Responsible organisation:
-
Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht
