The effectiveness of the pregnancy adapted YEARS algorithm to safely identify patients for CT pulmonary angiogram in pregnant and puerperal patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism

SA Journal of Radiology

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The effectiveness of the pregnancy adapted YEARS algorithm to safely identify patients for CT pulmonary angiogram in pregnant and puerperal patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism
 
Creator Potgieter, Riaan Becker, Piet Suleman, Farhana
 
Subject Radiology; Obstetrics and gynecologic; pulmonary embolism; CT pulmonary angiogram; pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm; radiation safety; pregnancy; puerperium; persistent tachycardia; breast cancer
Description Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism is one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. Globally there has been increasing physician reliance on CT pulmonary angiogram for definitive diagnoses and exclusion of pulmonary thromboembolism. The problem, however, arises when considering the high radiation penalty from performing these investigations, highlighted by the low diagnostic yield. Of recent, the pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm has shown promise in international studies as a possible alternative for stratifying risk of pulmonary thromboembolism during the pregnancy and puerperal period.Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of the pregnancy adapted YEARS algorithm to safely minimise the number of true negative CT pulmonary angiograms for patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism in our clinical setting.Method: A cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary hospital in Gauteng on puerperal and pregnant patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism. We retrospectively applied the pregnancy adapted YEARS algorithm and reviewed the various outcomes.Results: The pregnancy adapted YEARS algorithm proved effective in safely identifying patients for CT pulmonary angiography. By retrospectively applying the algorithm, there could have been a 25.7% scan reduction, whilst maintaining a negative predictive value of 100.0%.Conclusion: As physician reliance on radiological investigations increases, we must remain cognisant of the added radiation exposure and the long-term adverse effects of ionising radiation. The pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm provides a safe, reproducible alternative to aid our bid going forward.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of Pretoria, Department of Radiology
Date 2022-07-29
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Cross sectional
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajr.v26i1.2454
 
Source South African Journal of Radiology; Vol 26, No 1 (2022); 6 pages 2078-6778 1027-202X
 
Language eng
 
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The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2454/3236 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2454/3237 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2454/3238 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2454/3239
 
Coverage Africa, South Africa, Gauteng, Pretoria, Atteridgeville 1 June 2017 - 1 June 2020 Age, Female, Pregnant and puerperal period
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Riaan Potgieter, Piet Becker, Farhana Suleman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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