Management of patients with possible VTE in emergency medicine Q & A algorithm

EM sees an undifferentiated group of patients. The roles of guidelines and scoring systems are recognised as a potential aid to decision making. However, clinical gestalt is able to balance the true complexity of decision making with the relative simplicity of applying guidelines and scoring systems.

Such clinical gestalt is seen as a skill possessed by senior clinical decision makers. In EM this is defined as those who are ST4 or above.

This pathway is not to be used for:

• patients with another reason for admission e.g. mobility issues
• pregnant patients