Annals of internal medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Clinical decision rules for excluding pulmonary embolism: a meta-analysis.
Clinical probability assessment is combined with d-dimer testing to exclude pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ Clinical decision rules and gestalt can safely exclude PE when combined with sensitive d-dimer testing. The authors recommend standardized rules because gestalt has lower specificity, but the choice of a particular rule and d-dimer test depend on both prevalence and setting.