Calculators · Emergency Medicine · Criteria

YEARS algorithm for suspected PE

Also called YEARS criteria, YEARS rule

Three clinical items with a D-dimer threshold that changes with them (1000 vs 500 ng/mL).

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Formula and scoring

0 items and D-dimer <1000 ng/mL → PE excluded. ≥1 item and D-dimer <500 ng/mL → PE excluded. All others → CTPA.

Exam and ward pearls

  • YEARS reduced CTPA use by an absolute 14% versus Wells with a fixed 500 ng/mL cut-off.

When not to rely on it

  • Check whether your laboratory reports D-dimer in FEU or DDU; the YEARS study used ng/mL as reported by its assays.
  • Not validated as a stand-alone rule in haemodynamically unstable patients.

Source

  1. van der Hulle T, Cheung WY, Kooij S, et al. Simplified diagnostic management of suspected pulmonary embolism (the YEARS study): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Lancet. 2017;390(10091):289-297. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30885-1 · PMID 28549662

Formula and cut-offs checked against these sources on 8 Nov 2026. Educational tool for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement.

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