Computed Tomography Angiography for Detection of Pulmonary Embolism in Western Australia Shows Increasing Use with Decreasing Diagnostic Yield.

ABSTRACT: (1) Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) can be fatal. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) can accurately diagnose PE, but it should be used only when reasonable pre-test probability exists. Overtesting with CTPA exposes patients to excess ionizing radiation and contrast media, while PE overdiagnosis leads to the treatment of small emboli unlikely to cause harm. This study assessed trends in CTPA use and diagnostic yield. We also assessed trends in PE hospitalizations and mortality to indicate PE severity. (2) Methods: Analysis of Western Australian linked administrative data for 2003-2015 including hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) attendances, and CTPA performed at hospitals. Age-sex standardized trends were calculated for CTPA use, PE hospitalizations, and mortalit

SUBMITTER: Youens D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9917579 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature