Key result
CTPA volume jumps ~59% while the diagnostic yield for acute PE remains steady.
Why the study?
To evaluate the change in the number of CTPAs performed and the change in the yield of acute PE on CTPA at a busy tertiary teaching hospital from 2016 to 2019.
Does the diagnostic yield of acute pulmonary embolism on CTPA change with increasing examination volume?
Observational (n=10,589)
No
Does the diagnostic yield of acute pulmonary embolism on CTPA change with increasing examination volume?
Despite a 59% increase in CTPA volume over 3 years, the diagnostic yield for acute PE remained steady at 15.9%, indicating appropriate utilization and adherence to guidelines.
Steady yield amid rising CTPA volumes suggests appropriate use; leaves open generalizability to other centers.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the change in the number of CT pulmonary angiograms (CTPAs) performed and the change in the yield of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) on CTPA at a busy tertiary teaching hospital from 2016 to 2019. METHODS: All CTPA examinations for both in-patients and emergency department patients performed at our busy tertiary teaching hospital between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2019 were identified from the radiology information system. A natural language processing technique called phrase matching was employed to assign each of the examination reports a result of either positive, negative or equivocal for acute PE. This algorithm was validated on a sample of 200 reports. RESULTS: The number of CTPAs performed increased 59% from 2016 to 2019. The overall yield of acute PE has remained steady averaging 15.9%, ranging from 15.0% to 17.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Over 3 years, there has been a significant increase in the demand for CTPA examinations. The yield of acute PE has remained steady indicating a justified increase in demand. The yield of acute PE on CTPA within our centre is higher than the Royal College of Radiologists' suggested minimum of 15.4% which suggests the current guidelines used for the investigation of suspected acute PE within our centre are appropriate. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The guidelines and subsequent yield of acute PE on CTPA at our tertiary teaching hospital can be used as a reference standard for other similar institutes.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Boer et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Suspected acute pulmonary embolism (n=10,589). CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) was evaluated on Yield of acute pulmonary embolism (positive scan rate). The number of CT pulmonary angiograms performed increased by 59% from 2016 to 2019, while the overall yield of acute pulmonary embolism remained steady at an average of 15.9%.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: