Implementation, Clinical Benefit and Safety of a D-Dimer-Focused Pulmonary Embolism Testing Pathway in the Emergency Department

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) is overused during pulmonary embolism (PE) testing in the emergency department (ED), whereas prediction rules and D-dimer are underused. We report the adherence, clinical benefit, and safety of a D-dimer-only strategy to guide need for PE imaging in the ED. METHODS: This was a prospective multicenter implementation study in 2 EDs with historical and external controls. Patients with …