Meta-Analysis: Outcomes in Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Embolism Managed with Computed Tomographic Pulmonary Angiography

Abstract

The authors conducted at study to assess the safety of with holding anticoagulation in patients with a suspected pulmonary embolism and negative results on computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA). CTPA is being increasingly used in the evaluation of patients with suspected PE, but it may not be sensitive enough. The authors searched for studies that used CTPA to evaluate patients with suspected PE that had at least a 3-month follow-up of patients who did not receive anticoagulation because of a negative CTPA result. The 3-month rate of later throrrmboembolic events Mn the 4657 patients who met the study criteria was 1.4ck. The authors concluded that it was safe to withhold anticoagulation after negative CTPA results because the rate of subsequent venous thromboembolism after negative results CTPA was similar to that after negative results on conventional pulmonary angiography.