Abstract Background Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) constitutes a challenge for practitioners. Current practice involves use of pre-test probability prediction rules. Several strategies to optimize this process have been explored. Objectives To explore whether application of the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC rule) and age-adjusted D-dimer (DD) would have reduced the number of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examinations performed in patients with suspected PE. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study of adult patients taken for CTPA under suspicion of PE in 2018 and 2020. The PERC rule and age-adjusted DD were applied. The number of cases without indications for imaging studies was estimated and the operational characteristics for diagnosis of PE were calculated. Results 302 patients were included. PE was diagnosed in 29.8%. Only 27.2% of ‘not probable’ cases according to the Wells criteria had D-dimer assays. Age adjustment would have reduced tomography use by 11.1%, with an AUC of 0.5. The PERC rule would have reduced use by 7%, with an AUC of 0.72. Conclusions Application of age-adjusted D-dimer and the PERC rule to patients taken for CTPA because of suspected PE seems to reduce the number of indications for the procedure.

Resumo Contexto O diagnóstico de embolia pulmonar (EP) representa um desafio para o profissional. A prática atual envolve o uso de modelos de previsão de probabilidade pré-teste e, para otimizar esse processo, várias estratégias têm sido exploradas. Objetivos Investigar se a aplicação dos critérios de exclusão de EP (pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria, PERC) e do D-dímero (DD) ajustado para idade diminui o número de angiografias computadorizadas (ATCs) pulmonares realizadas em pacientes com suspeita de EP. Métodos Estudo transversal retrospectivo com pacientes adultos submetidos a ATC pulmonar com suspeita de EP em 2018 e 2020. Foram aplicados os critérios PERC e o DD ajustado para idade. Foi estimado o número de casos não indicados para exames de imagem, e foram calculadas as características operacionais para o diagnóstico de EP. Resultados Foram incluídos 302 pacientes, dos quais 29,8% apresentaram diagnóstico de EP. Apenas 27,2% dos casos não prováveis de acordo com os critérios de Wells apresentaram DD; o ajuste implicou em uma diminuição de ACTs de 11,1%, com área sob a curva de 0,5. Os critérios PERC diminuiriam em 7%, com área sob a curva de 0,72. Conclusões A aplicação do DD ajustado para idade e dos critérios PERC em pacientes submetidos a ATC pulmonar por suspeita de EP parece diminuir a indicação para tais exames.

RESUMEN Introducción: El tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) es una patología frecuente, que genera repercusiones hemodinámicas importantes y alta tasa de mortalidad, con alta incidencia en la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Objetivo: Caracterizar el comportamiento clínico, de diagnóstico y pronóstico de los pacientes con sospecha de TEP antes y durante la pandemia de SARS-CoV-2. Metodología: Estudio de cohorte prospectiva de pacientes adultos llevados a angiotomografía de tórax por sospecha de TEP durante dos periodos de tiempo: a) pre-COVID-19: junio de 2018 a diciembre de 2019, y b) COVID-19: junio a diciembre de 2020. Se condujeron análisis bivariados y se construyeron curvas ROC calculando las áreas bajo la curva para el diagnóstico de TEP del dímero D y las reglas de predicción clínica. Resultados: Se incluyeron 302 pacientes pre COVID-19 y 55 pacientes con COVID-19. El dímero D muestra un desempeño moderado para diagnóstico del TEP con AUC: 0,73 (IC 95% 0,62-0,84) en fase pre-COVID-19 vs. 0,75 (IC95% 0,58-0,92) en fase COVID-19. Las áreas bajo la curva de cada una de las reglas de predicción clínica tuvieron un desempeño moderado a bajo en la fase pre-COVID-19 (AUC: 0,623 a 0,697), frente a una no discriminatoria en la fase COVID-19 (0,355 a 0,450). Conclusiones: Los factores de riesgo tradicional fueron poco prevalentes en pacientes con COVID-19 y TEP. Aunque el dímero D fue más alto en aquellos con TEP, la diferencia no fue estadísticamente significativa. Las reglas de predicción clínicas para el diagnóstico de TEP mostraron un bajo poder discriminativo en pacientes con COVID-19.

ABSTRACT Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a frequent disease generating important hemodynamic effects and high mortality rate, with great incidence in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical, diagnostic, and prognostic behavior of patients with suspected PE before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult patients with suspected PE undergoing computed tomography pulmonary angiography was carried out during two periods: a) the pre-COVID-19 phase: June 2018 to December 2019, and b) during the COVID-19 phase: June to December 2020. Bivariate analyses were conducted and ROC curves were built calculating the areas under the curve (AUC) for D-dimer PE diagnosis and clinical prediction rules. Results: Three-hundred and two pre-COVID-19 patients and 55 patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. D-dimer showed a moderate performance for the diagnosis of PE, with AUC 0.73 (95% CI 0.62-0.84) in pre-COVID-19 phase vs. 0.75 (95% CI 0.58-0.92) in COVID-19 phase. The AUC of each of the clinical prediction rules had moderate to low performance in the pre-COVID-19 phase (AUC 0.623 to 0.697), with a non-discriminatory AUC in the COVID-19 phase (0.355 to 0.450). Conclusions: Traditional risk factors were poorly prevalent in patients with COVID-19 and PE. Although D-dimer was higher in those with PE, the difference was not statistically significant. Clinical prediction rules for PE diagnosis showed low discriminative power in COVID-19 patients.

Epidemiological data on the periodontal health and oral hygiene practices of young individuals in Latin America are limited. This study was conducted in a sample of 355 first-year students randomly selected from 3,251 new students entering the largest university in Colombia. Participants received a periodontal examination and were interviewed about oral hygiene practices. Specifically, this study assessed the relationship between oral hygiene practices (including smoking tobacco) and plaque accumulation and/or periodontal bleeding on probing (BOP). Participants had extensive plaque accumulation and BOP, with a mean O´Leary plaque index of 56% and mean BOP of 37%. Both measures were higher for proximal surfaces. Plaque indices of at least 50% were not associated with any oral hygiene factors; however, plaque index and use of dental floss were associated with a BOP of at least 50%. Frequency of tooth brushing was higher in female than in male participants. Only 5% of participants reported smoking tobacco. On average, participants had 2.7 ± 4.6 pockets of at least 4 mm (18% of participants had ≥ 5 and 9% of participants had ≥ 10 pockets of this depth, respectively). On average, participants had 2.1 ± 4.4 sites with clinical attachment loss of at least 2 mm (15% and 6% of participants had ≥ 5 and ≥ 10 sites with this level of loss). Only 8% of participants were diagnosed with moderate periodontitis, and no participants were diagnosed with severe periodontitis. In conclusion, although participants had high levels of plaque and BOP, signs of advanced destructive periodontal disease were minimal.