PERC up about Well's for PE

PERC up about Well's for PE
mnemonic for workup of Pulmonary Embolism
Items in italics and bold refer to unique features of the PERC score and Well's Criteria.

PERC Score: (PERCx2)
PaO2 <92%
Pulse >100
Extremity swollen now (DVT)
Elderly >50
Recent surgery
Recent DVT -- unilateral extremity swelling in past
Contraceptive use
Coughing up blood


Medscape: Differentiating Low-Risk and No-Risk PE Patients: The PERC Score
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/702755

Well's criteria: S.S. PERCC
Suspicious for PE (3)
Signs of DVT now (3)
Pulse >100 (1.5)
Extremity: Past DVT/PE (1.5)
Recent surgery/immob (<4wk/>3d respectively) (1.5)
Coughing up blood (1)
Cancer (1)

High >6.0 pt
Moderate 2.0 to 6.0 pt
Low <2.0 pt


Wells PS, Ginsberg JS, Anderson DR, et al. Use of a clinical model for safe management of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. Ann Intern Med 1998;129:997-1005. Study used a "minimally invasive" approach to managing patients with suspected PE, emphasizing use of serial dopplers rather than PA grams in patients with a non-diagnostic initial work-up. Approach is comparable to the 1999 ATS guidelines; it does not include CT angiography. A particular strength of the study was the use of set criteria to establish clinical suspicion. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9867786