Nonspecific tests for pulmonary embolism

Many tests have been proposed as useful in the diagnostic evaluation of suspected PE, but nonspecific tests for PE can only add to the level of suspicion one has for the diagnosis. As Anderson indicates, "virtually all clinical and laboratory findings neither diagnose nor exclude the diagnosis of PE. They merely serve to heighten suspicion of the diagnosis and prompt the clinician to pursue additional diagnostic studies." D-dimer measurement is promising as a test to exclude PE in young healthy out-patients, and further study and improvements in technology, can clarify the usefulness of the different methods of performing this assay. For now, diagnostic algorithms for PE should continue to incorporate multiple tests and decision points, but the standard remains specialized imaging techniques.