Current Diagnosis of Venous Thromboembolism in Primary Care: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians*

Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA; Vincenza Snow, MD, MS; Patricia Barry, MD, MPH; E. Rodney Hornbake, MD; Jonathan E. Rodnick, MD; Timothy Tobolic, MD; Belinda Ireland, MD, MS; Jodi B. Segal, MD; Eric B. Bass, MD, MPH; Kevin B. Weiss, MD, MPH; Lee Green, MD, MPH; Douglas K. Owens, MD, MS, and the Joint American Academy of Family Physicians/American College of Physicians Panel on Deep Venous Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism

20 March 2007 | Volume 146 Issue 6 | Pages 454-458

This guideline summarizes the current approaches for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. The importance of early diagnosis to prevent mortality and morbidity associated with venous thromboembolism cannot be overstressed. This field is highly dynamic, however, and new evidence is emerging periodically that may change the recommendations. The purpose of this guideline is to present recommendations based on current evidence to clinicians to aid in the diagnosis of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

*This guideline was originally published in the Annals of Family Medicine on 1 January 2007. Readers who wish to cite this article should use the following citation: Qaseem A, Snow V, Barry P, Hornbake ER, Rodnick JE, Tobolic T, et al. Current diagnosis of venous thromboembolism in primary care: A clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians. Ann Fam Med. 2007;5:57-62.

Clinical Efficacy and Assessment Subcommittee of the American College of Physicians: Douglas K. Owens, MD, MS (Chair); Mark Aronson, MD; Donald E. Casey Jr., MD, MPH, MBA; J. Thomas Cross Jr., MD, MPH; Nancy C. Dolan, MD; Nick Fitterman, MD; E. Rodney Hornbake, MD; Paul Shekelle, MD, PhD; Katherine D. Sherif, MD; and Kevin Weiss, MD, MPH (Immediate Past Chair). Commission on Science of the American Academy of Family Physicians: Eric M. Wall, MD, MPH (Chair); Kevin A. Peterson, MD, MPH; James M. Gill, MD; Robert C. Marshall, MD, MPH; Jonathan E. Rodnick, MD; Kenneth G. Schellhase, MD, MPH; Steven W. Strode, MD, MEd, MPH; Kurtis S. Elward, MD, MPH; James W. Mold, MD, MPH; Jonathan L. Temte, MD, PhD; Frederick M. Chen, MD, MPH; Thomas F. Koinis, MD; Donya A. Powers, MD; Karl M. Kochendorfer, MD; Peter John Oppelt; Herbert F. Young, MD, MA; and Bellinda K. Schoof, MHA. Approved by the American College of Physicians Board of Regents on 4 April 2006. Approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors on 28 March 2006.

Author and Article Information

From the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Merck Institute for Aging and Health, Gloucester Point, Virginia; Hadlyme, Connecticut; University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Byron Family Medicine, Byron Center, Mississippi; American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, Kansas; BJC HealthCare, St. Louis, Missouri; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital and Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University, Stanford, California.

Disclaimer: No statement in this article should be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Note: Clinical guidelines are "guides" only and may not apply to all patients and all clinical situations. Thus, they are not intended to override clinicians' judgment. All American College of Physicians clinical practice guidelines are considered automatically withdrawn or invalid 5 years after publication or once an update has been issued.

Grant Support: The American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians operating budgets.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Request for Single Reprints: Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

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