Key result
The Wells score showed a weak, non-significant positive correlation with the Quanadli index (r = 0.14; P = 0.29), while the modified Wells criteria demonstrated 90% sensitivity and 20% specificity.
Why the study?
Does the Wells score correlate with the Qanadli index on CTPA in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism?
Observational (n=80)
No
Does the Wells score correlate with the Qanadli index on CTPA in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism?
The modified Wells criteria have high sensitivity but low specificity for PE diagnosis, and the Wells score does not correlate significantly with the degree of pulmonary vascular obstruction measured by the Qanadli index.
Wells criteria may not aid PE severity assessment on CTPA; leaves open validation of refined risk tools in prospective cohorts.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Determining clinical probability of pulmonary embolism (PE) with Wells scoring system is the first step towards diagnosis of PE. Definitive diagnosis of PE is confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). METHODS: This was a prospective study on 80 patients referred to the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina with suspected PE between April 2010 and August 2012. Clinical probability of PE was determined according to the Wells and modified Wells scoring system. CTPA was performed in 60 patients. The degree of pulmonary vascular obstruction was quantified by the Qanadli index. RESULTS: Low clinical probability of PE was present in one patient (1.6%), moderate in 43 (71.6%) and high in 16 (26.6%) patients. PE was confirmed in 50 (83.3%) patients. There were 21 patients (42%) whose Quanadli index was <25%, 18 (36%) between 25%-50%, while Quanadli index was ≥50 in 11 patients (22%). When compared to CTPA findings, modified Wells scoring system showed 90% sensitivity [95% confidence interval (CI) 78.2%-96.6%], and 20% specificity (95% CI 3.11%-55.6%), positive predictive value (PPV) 84.9% (95% CI 72.4%-93.2%) and negative predictive value (NPV) 28.6% (95% CI 4.5%-70.7%). There was weak positive correlation between Wells score and Quanadli index (r = 0.14; P = 0.29), without statistical significance. Wells score was significantly higher in haemodynamically unstable than in haemodynamically stable patients (6.8 vs 5.6, P = 0.014). There was no statistically significant difference between the values of Quanadli index in these two groups (31.33% vs 26.64%, P = 0.062). CONCLUSION: Modified Wells criteria have high sensitivity but low specificity in PE diagnostics. The Wells score does not correlate well with the Quanadli index.
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Obradović et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Suspected pulmonary embolism (n=80). Wells scoring system vs. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was evaluated on Correlation between Wells score and Quanadli index (r = 0.14, p=0.29). The Wells score showed a weak, non-significant positive correlation with the Quanadli index (r = 0.14; P = 0.29), while the modified Wells criteria demonstrated 90% sensitivity and 20% specificity.
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