Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16728440›Full record

SynthesisQJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians2006

How should we diagnose suspected deep-vein thrombosis?

S Goodacre, M Stevenson, A Wailoo, F Sampson, A J Sutton, S Thomas

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Guideline
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Evaluation of Expression Level of Apolipoprotein M as a Diagnostic Marker for Primary Venous Thromboembolism.Clinical and applied thrombosis/hemostasis : official journal of the International Academy of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis · 2018
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Evidence for treatment of muscular vein thrombosis in orthopaedic patients.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2013
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Thromboprophylaxis following major skeletal trauma: a systematic review.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2011
    Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

S GoodacreMedical Care Research Unit, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield, S1 4DA. s.goodacre@sheffield.ac.uk
M Stevenson
A Wailoo
F Sampson
A J Sutton
S Thomas

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMany different approaches are used to diagnose suspected deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), but there has been little formal comparison of strategies.

aimTo identify the most cost-effective strategy for the UK National Health Service (NHS).

designSystematic review, meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis.

methodsWe identified 18 strategies and estimated the diagnostic performance of constituent tests by systematic review and meta-analysis. Outcomes of testing and treatment were estimated from published data or by an expert panel. Costs were estimated from NHS reference costs and published data. We built a decision-analysis model to estimate, for each strategy, the overall accuracy, costs, and outcomes (valued as quality-adjusted life-years, QALYs), compared to a 'no testing, no treatment' alternative. Probabilistic analysis estimated the net benefit of each strategy at varying thresholds for willingness to pay for health gain.

resultsAt the thresholds for willingness to pay recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (20,000 pounds sterling-30,000 pounds sterling per QALY), the optimal strategy was to discharge patients with a low or intermediate Wells score and negative D-dimer, limiting ultrasound to those with a high score or positive D-dimer. Strategies using radiological testing for all patients were only cost-effective at 40,000 pound sterling per QALY or more. DISCUSSION: The optimal strategy for DVT diagnosis is to use ultrasound selectively in patients with a high clinical risk or positive D-dimer. Radiological testing for all patients does not appear to be a cost-effective use of health service resources.

Indexed as

Cost-Benefit AnalysisDecision Support TechniquesDiagnostic Techniques, CardiovascularHumansQuality-Adjusted Life YearsState MedicineUnited KingdomVenous Thrombosis

Identifiers

PMID16728440

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.