What is the PERC criteria used for?

• A. To assess risk of PE
• B. To assess risk of DVT
• C. To evaluate chest pain due to ACS
• D. To determine need for pulmonary rehab

Answer: (A)

PERC criteria are a practical rule used to exclude pulmonary embolism in patients who are already considered low risk. If all eight criteria are negative, the probability of PE is sufficiently low that you can often avoid imaging and instead consider observation or outpatient management, depending on the overall clinical picture. The eight criteria cover age under 50, heart rate under 100, oxygen saturation at least 95%, no unilateral leg swelling, no hemoptysis, no estrogen use, no prior DVT or PE, and no recent surgery or trauma requiring hospitalization within the last four weeks. If any criterion is positive, PERC cannot be used to rule out PE and you should pursue further evaluation with D-dimer or appropriate imaging based on the pretest probability. This tool is not designed to assess DVT risk, evaluate chest pain from ACS, or determine need for pulmonary rehabilitation.