Background: Diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) during pregnancy is a challenging medical issue due to complications of X-ray-based imaging studies such as Ct-angiography for neonates and pregnant women. Here we aimed to assess the predictive values of three clinical criteria for diagnosing PTE during pregnancy.
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study performed in 2018-2020 on 166 pregnant women suspected of PTE. We reviewed the documents of all patients referred to our medical center with suspected symptoms of PTE. The demographic characteristics of the patients, signs and clinical findings upon the arrival of patients as well as their laboratory tests including D-dimer with a history of abortion or delivery and leg symptoms were entered into the data collection form. Then, according to the information extracted from the patient's files, each patient was evaluated by all clinical PTE criteria, including Wells, YEARS and modified Geneva. For each patient according to clinical criteria and all three algorithms, clinical suspicion for PTE and treatment or non-treatment was determined were compared to the final MDCT result of patients.
Results: The Well's criteria had 100% sensitivity, 6.47% specificity, a positive predictive value of 7.8% and a negative predictive value of 100%. In patients with Well's score of more than four, the sensitivity and specificity of PTE diagnosis were 100% and 6% respectively. The modified Geneva criteria had 100% sensitivity, 8.89% specificity, a positive predictive value of 8.21% and a negative predictive value of 100%. The modified Geneva criteria had 100% sensitivity, 7.74% specificity, positive predictive value of 8.44% and a negative predictive value of 100%.
Conclusion: Wells, YEARS and modified Geneva criteria could significantly rule out PTE in pregnancy with 100% sensitivity.
Keywords: Thromboembolism; clinical criteria; pregnancy.
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