When to use: “The Wells’ Criteria risk stratifies patients for pulmonary embolism (PE) and provides an estimated pre-test probability. The physician can then chose what further testing is required for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (I.E. d-dimer or CT angiogram).” MdCalc.com
| Clinical symptoms of DVT (leg swelling, pain with palpation) | 3.0 |
| Other diagnoses less likely than pulmonary embolism [i.e. PE is at the very top of the DDx] | 3.0 |
| Heart rate >100 | 1.5 |
| Immobilization (≥3 days) or surgery in the previous four weeks | 1.5 |
| Previous DVT/PE (objectively diagnosed) | 1.5 |
| Hemoptysis | 1.0 |
| Malignancy | 1.0 |
| Probability | Score |
| Traditional clinical probability assessment (Wells criteria) | |
| High | >6.0 |
| Moderate | 2.0 to 6.0 |
| Low | <2.0 |
| Simplified clinical probability assessment (Modified Wells criteria) | |
| PE likely | >4.0 |
| PE unlikely | ≤4.0 |
DVT: deep vein thrombosis; PE: pulmonary embolism.
Hemoptysis = coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs.
Hemoptysis = coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs.
Note that all the criteria can be gotten from the history & physical. HR is the only thing that is measured. Everything else comes from history.