Question

A 32-year-old woman with pleuritic chest pain and low pretest probability for pulmonary embolism meets all PERC criteria (age <50, HR <100, SpO₂ ≥95%, no hemoptysis, no estrogen use, no prior DVT/PE, no unilateral leg swelling, no recent surgery/trauma). Next step?

Accepted Answer

CT pulmonary angiography now

Answer

Order D-dimer

Answer

Start anticoagulation empirically

Answer

V/Q scan now

Answer

No testing; PE can be ruled out clinically

Practice question

A 32-year-old woman with pleuritic chest pain and low pretest probability for pulmonary embolism meets all PERC criteria (age <50, HR <100, SpO₂ ≥95%, no hemoptysis, no estrogen use, no prior DVT/PE, no unilateral leg swelling, no recent surgery/trauma). Next step?