Comparison of the values of the YEARS algorithm and the simplified Wells combined with age-adjusted D-dimer algorithm in the evaluation of patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism Wang Zhehua1, Zhou Hongbin2, Yuan Dong2, Li Gang3, Li Yaqing2. 1Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou 310030, China;2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, China; 3Department of

Abstract

Objective: To compare the values of the YEARS algorithm and the simplified Wells combined with age-adjusted D-dimer (sWells-Age) algorithm in the evaluation of patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Methods: Patients with suspected APE receiving CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) were enrolled from 2016 to 2017. With CTPA results as the gold standard, we evaluated and compared the performance of the two algorithms in the whole population and in symptom-onset site (in-hospital, out-of-hospital) subgroups. Results: Among the 285 patients included, APE was confirmed by CTPA in 80 patients (28.1%). The two algorithms had a high level of diagnostic agreement (κ=0.855, P<0.05). The evaluated performance of the YEARS algorithm and the sWells-Age algorithm was as follows: 21.8% and 17.2% for the efficiencies; 1.6% and 0.0% for the failure rates; 29.8% and 23.9% for the specificities(P<0.05); 98.8% and 100.0% for the sensitivities. The efficiencies and the specificities of the two algorithms differed in the subgroups divided by symptom-onset sites (in-hospital, out-of-hospital). For the patients with symptoms-onset outside the hospital, the YEARS algorithm and the sWells-Age algorithm showed efficiencies of 33.0% and 26.9%, respectively, and specificities of 44.7% and 37.1%, respectively, (P<0.05).For the patients with symptoms-onset in hospital, the YEARS algorithm and the sWells-Age algorithm showed efficiencies of 1.9% and 0.0%, respectively, and specificities of 2.7% and 0.0%, respectively. Conclusions: The YEARS algorithm and the sWells-Age algorithm had a good diagnostic agreement and low failure rates and both could safely rule out APE. More patients with suspected APE could be safely excluded by the YEARS algorithm than the sWells-Age algorithm, especially in those suspected APE patients with out-of-hospital symptom-onset. However, both two algorithms were not applicable to suspected APE patients with in-hospital symptom-onset.