Editor's Choice -- European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Abdominal Aorto-Iliac Artery Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has developed clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with aneurysms of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries in succession to the 2011 and 2019 versions, with the aim of assisting physicians and patients in selecting the best management strategy. METHODS: The guideline is based on scientific evidence completed with expert opinion on the matter. By summarising and evaluating the best available evidence, recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of patients have been formulated. The recommendations are graded according to a modified European Society of Cardiology grading system, where the strength (class) of each recommendation is graded from I to III and the letters A to C mark the level of evidence. RESULTS: A total of 160 recommendations have been issued on the following topics: Service standards, including surgical volume and training; Epidemiology, diagnosis, and screening; Management of patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), including surveillance, cardiovascular risk reduction, and indication for repair; Elective AAA repair, including operative risk assessment, open and endovascular repair, and early complications; Ruptured and symptomatic AAA, including peri-operative management, such as permissive hypotension and use of aortic occlusion balloon, open and endovascular repair, and early complications, such as abdominal compartment syndrome and colonic ischaemia; Long term outcome and follow up after AAA repair, including graft infection, endoleaks and follow up routines; Management of complex AAA, including open and endovascular repair; Management of iliac artery aneurysm, including indication for repair and open and endovascular repair; and Miscellaneous aortic problems, including mycotic, inflammatory, and saccular aortic aneurysm. In addition, Shared decision making is being addressed, with supporting information for patients, and Unresolved issues are discussed. CONCLUSION: The ESVS Clinical Practice Guidelines provide the most comprehensive, up to date, and unbiased advice to clinicians and patients on the management of abdominal aorto-iliac artery aneurysms.

Antibiotic Efficacy against Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms on Synthetic and Biological Vascular Grafts.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of five antibiotics against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) biofilms on the surface of four vascular grafts. METHODS: In vitro study of two clinical MSSA strains (MSSA2 and MSSA6) and four vascular grafts (Dacron, Dacron-silver-triclosan, Omniflow-II, and bovine pericardium). After a 24-hour incubation period, the graft samples were divided into six groups: growth control (no treatment), ciprofloxacin 4.5mg/L, cloxacillin 100 mg/L, dalbavancin 300 mg/L, daptomycin 140 mg/L, and linezolid 20 mg/L. Quantitative cultures were obtained and results expressed as log10 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). Analysis of variance was performed to compare biofilm formation between the different groups. RESULTS: Mean ± SD MSSA2 count on the growth control Dacron graft was 10.05 ± 0.31 CFU/mL. Antibiotic treatment achieved a mean reduction of 45%; ciprofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic (64%). Baseline MSSA2 counts were very low on the Dacron-silver-triclosan (0.50 ± 1.03 CFU/mL) and Omniflow-II (0.33 ± 0.78 CFU/mL) grafts. On the bovine pericardium patch, the count was 9.87 ± 0.50 CFU/mL, but this was reduced by a mean of 45% after antibiotic treatment (61% for ciprofloxacin). Mean MSSA6 count on the growth control Dacron graft was 9.63 ± 0.53 CFU/mL. Antibiotics achieved a mean reduction of 48%, with ciprofloxacin performing best (67% reduction). Baseline MSSA6 count on the Dacron-silver-triclosan graft was 8.54 ± 0.73 CFU/mL. Antibiotics reduced biofilm formation by 72%; cloxacillin was the most effective treatment (86%). The MSSA6 count on the untreated Omniflow-II graft was 1.17 ± 1.52 CFU/mL. For the bovine pericardium patch, it was 8.98 ± 0.67 CFU/mL. Mean reduction after antibiotic treatment was 46%, with cloxacillin achieving the greatest reduction (68%). CONCLUSION: In this in vitro study, ciprofloxacin and cloxacillin performed best at reducing biofilms formed by clinical MSSA strains on the surface of biological and synthetic vascular grafts.

Management of Inflammatory Aortic Aneurysms - A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (InflAAAs) account for 5 - 10% of aortic aneurysms and are characterised by retroperitoneal fibrosis. Diagnosis is often delayed, and doubts remain about the optimal management strategy. This scoping review describes the current state of knowledge on InflAAAs. METHODS: Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies that evaluated the diagnosis and treatment of InflAAAs. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was followed. RESULTS: Fifty-seven papers were selected (low level of evidence), which included 1 554 patients, who were mostly male and heavy smokers. A triad of chronic abdominal or back pain, weight loss, and elevated inflammatory markers was highly suggestive of the diagnosis but rarely present, and fever was noted only randomly. A mantle sign was seen on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in 73 - 100% of patients. Open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) was reported in 1 376 and 178 patients, respectively. OSR was associated with significant iatrogenic bowel (n = 22), urinary tract system (n = 7), venous (n = 30), pancreatic (n = 6), and splenic (n = 5) injuries, while EVAR was associated with lower 30 day mortality (0 - 5% vs. 0 - 32%). One and two year mortality rates were similar between the two treatment modalities (0 - 20% and 0 - 36%, respectively). EVAR was more often associated with post-operative progression of inflammation (17% vs. 0.4%), and a higher frequency of persistent hydronephrosis (> 50%) and limb occlusion (20%). Used in < 10% of patients, corticosteroids led to complete pain relief and a reduction in peri-aortic inflammation within 6 - 18 months. CONCLUSION: InflAAAs are characterised by non-specific symptoms, with the mantle sign on CTA being pathognomonic. Corticosteroids may be considered a basic treatment that all patients should receive initially. Low quality data indicate that EVAR (vs. OSR) is associated with fewer intra-operative complications and lower peri-operative mortality but more late fibrosis related adverse events. International multicentre registries are required to gather more insights into this challenging pathology.

Normal Infrarenal Aortic Diameter in Men and Women in a Mediterranean Area.

BACKGROUND: Infrarenal aortic diameter (AD) values currently considered normal are based on measurements from epidemiologic studies performed over 20 years ago. Knowledge of expected normal AD is important for understanding the relevance of abdominal aortic dilatation. The aim of this study was to define contemporary reference values for normal infrarenal AD and build a predictive model based on individual features. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of participants in a population-based screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was performed in a healthcare district with 400,000 inhabitants. Men and women aged 65 years were invited to participate. Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, family history of AAA, personal history of other aneurysms, CV disease, and anthropometric parameters were evaluated. The largest anteroposterior inner-inner diameter of the infrarenal aorta was measured by ultrasound. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine independent predictors of AD. The best-fit model was obtained by randomly selecting 70% of the sample and validating the results in the remaining 30%. RESULTS: A total of 4,730 people (2,089 men and 2,641 women) were invited. The participation rate was 50.4% for men and 44.0% for women. Mean AD (standard deviation, SD) was 16.51 (3.2) mm in the overall group, 17.91 (3.51) mm in men, and 15.25 (2.32) mm in women (P < 0.001). Male sex (P < 0.001), body surface area (P < 0.001), smoking habit (P = 0.012), and history of arterial aneurysms (P = 0.013) were independently associated with increased AD. Dyslipidemia was associated with decreased AD (P < 0.001). The findings were used to build a model for predicting AD based on individual characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: ADs in our study population are smaller than those described in classic epidemiological studies. Men have a significantly larger diameter than women and the strongest predictor of increased AD is body surface area. A greater understanding of factors associated with AD will help predict expected sizes in individual members of the population.

Psoas muscle analysis as a surrogate marker of sarcopenia and frailty: A multicenter analysis of predictive capacities over short- and long-term outcomes after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVES: Several predictive models exist for estimating the postoperative risks of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, although no particular tool has seen widespread use. We present the results of a multicenter, historic cohort study comparing the predictive capacity of the psoas muscle area (PMA), radiodensity (PMD), and lean muscle area (LMA) as surrogate markers of sarcopenia, over short- and long-term outcomes after AAA repair, compared to the mFI-5 and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scales. METHODS: Retrospective review was conducted of all consecutive AAA elective repair cases (open or endovascular) in three tertiary-care centers from 2014 to 2019. Cross-sectional PMA, PMD, and LMA at the mid-body of the L3 vertebra were measured by two independent operators in the preoperative computed tomography. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine optimal cutoff values. Bivariate analysis, logistic regression, and Cox's proportional hazards models were built to examine the relationship between baseline variables and postoperative mortality, long-term mortality, and complications. RESULTS: 596 patients were included (mean age 72.7 ± 8 years, 95.1% male, 66.9% EVAR). Perioperative mortality was 2.3% (EVAR 1.2% vs open repair 4.6%, p = .015), and no independent predictors could be identified in the multivariate analysis. Conversely, an age over 74 years old (OR 1.84 95%CI 1.25-2.70), previous heart diseases (OR 1.62 95%CI 1.13-2.32), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.61 95%CI 1.13-2.32), and a PMD value over 66 HU (OR 0.58 95%CI 0.39-0.84) acted as independent predictors of long-term mortality in the Cox's proportional hazards model. Heart diseases (congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease), serum creatinine levels over 1.05 mg/dL, and an aneurysm diameter over 60 mm were independent predictors of major complications. CONCLUSION: Surrogate markers of sarcopenia had a poor predictive profile for postoperative mortality after AAA repair in our sample. However, PMD stood out as an independent predictor of long-term mortality. This finding can guide future research and should be confirmed in larger datasets.

Mycotic Aneurysm of Internal Carotid Artery Secondary to Livestock-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Clonal Complex CC398.

The aim of this article is to present a case of mycotic aneurysm of internal carotid artery secondary to livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) treated with resection and common-to-internal carotid artery bypass with autologous vein graft in a male pig farmer. A 69-year-old man, pig farmer, with recent dental extraction was admitted with a right cervical pulsatile mass, dysphonia, pain, leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed a 3.9 × 4.5 cm mycotic aneurysm of right internal carotid artery with hypermetabolic uptake in positron emission tomography (PET) scan. Resection of the mycotic aneurysm and a common-to-internal carotid artery bypass with major saphenous vein graft were performed. LA-MRSA clonal complex (CC) 398 was detected in intraoperative samples and antibiotic therapy was changed according to antibiogram. Patient was discharged at the seventh postoperative day and received antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks. US 12 months later showed patency of the bypass without collections. Mycotic aneurysms of internal carotid artery are very infrequent. MRSA isolation is rare, and to the best of our knowledge this is the first case caused by multi-drug resistant LA-MRSA CC398. The treatment includes mycotic aneurysm resection and reconstruction with venous graft bypass plus intensive antibiotic therapy.

COVID-19 Infection in Critically Ill Patients Carries a High Risk of Venous Thrombo-embolism.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been found to cause an increased risk of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE). The aims of the study were to determine the frequency of VTE in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and its correlation with D dimer levels and pharmacological prophylaxis. METHODS: This was a cohort study of critically ill patients due to COVID-19. All patients admitted to the intensive care unit on the same day of April 2020 were selected, regardless of length of stay, and a single bilateral venous duplex ultrasound in the lower extremities was performed up to 72 hours later. Pulmonary embolism (PE) was diagnosed by computed tomography angiography. Asymptomatic and symptomatic VTE were registered, including pre-screening in hospital VTE. Characteristics of patients, blood test results, doses of thromboprophylaxis received, VTE events, and mortality after seven day follow up were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 230 critically ill patients were studied. The median intensive care unit stay of these patients was 12 days (interquartile range [IQR] 5 - 19 days). After seven days follow up, the frequency of patients with VTE, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, was 26.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 21% - 32%) (69 events in 61 patients): 45 with DVT and 16 with PE (eight of them with concomitant DVT). The cumulative frequency of symptomatic VTE was 8.3% (95% CI 4.7% - 11.8%). D dimer values ≥ 1 500 ng/mL were diagnostic of VTE, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 42%. During follow up after screening, six patients developed new VTE. Three of them developed a recurrence after a DVT diagnosed at screening, despite receiving therapeutic doses of heparin. Mortality rates at seven day follow up were the same for those with (6.6%) and without (5.3%) VTE. CONCLUSION: Patients with severe COVID-19 infection are at high risk of VTE, and further new symptomatic VTE events and recurrence can occur despite anticoagulation. The prophylactic anticoagulant dose may need to be increased in patients with a low risk of bleeding.

CHIVA method for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Many surgical approaches are available to treat varicose veins secondary to chronic venous insufficiency. One of the least invasive techniques is the ambulatory conservative hemodynamic correction of venous insufficiency method (in French 'cure conservatrice et hémodynamique de l'insuffisance veineuse en ambulatoire' (CHIVA)), an approach based on venous hemodynamics with deliberate preservation of the superficial venous system. This is the second update of the review first published in 2013. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of the CHIVA method with alternative therapeutic techniques to treat varicose veins. SEARCH METHODS: The Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Vascular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and the World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov trials registries to 19 October 2020. We also searched PUBMED to 19 October 2020 and checked the references of relevant articles to identify additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared CHIVA to other therapeutic techniques to treat varicose veins. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed and selected studies, extracted data, and performed quantitative analysis from the selected papers. A third author solved any disagreements. We assessed the risk of bias in included trials with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We calculated the risk ratio (RR), mean difference (MD), number of people needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB), and the number of people needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome (NNTH), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We evaluated the certainty of the evidence using GRADE. The main outcomes of interest were the recurrence of varicose veins and side effects. MAIN RESULTS: For this update, we identified two new additional studies. In total, we included six RCTs with 1160 participants (62% women) and collected from them eight comparisons. Three RCTs compared CHIVA with vein stripping. One RCT compared CHIVA with compression dressings in people with venous ulcers. The new studies included three comparisons, one compared CHIVA with vein stripping and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and one compared CHIVA with vein stripping and endovenous laser therapy. We judged the certainty of the evidence for our outcomes as low to very low due to inconsistency, imprecision caused by the low number of events and risk of bias. The overall risk of bias across studies was high because neither participants nor personnel were blinded to the interventions. Two studies attempted to blind outcome assessors, but the characteristics of the surgery limited concealment. Five studies reported the outcome clinical recurrence of varicose veins with a follow-up of 18 months to 10 years. CHIVA may make little or no difference to the recurrence of varicose veins in the lower limb compared to stripping (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.20; 5 studies, 966 participants; low-certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether CHIVA reduced recurrence compared to compression dressing (RR 0.23, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.96; 1 study, 47 participants; very low-certainty evidence). CHIVA may make little or no difference to clinical recurrence compared to RFA (RR 2.02, 95% CI 0.74 to 5.53; 1 study, 146 participants; low-certainty evidence) and endovenous laser (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.06; 1 study, 100 participants; low-certainty evidence). We found no clear difference between CHIVA and stripping for the side effects of limb infection (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.33 to 2.10; 3 studies, 746 participants; low-certainty evidence), and superficial vein thrombosis (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.51 to 2.17; 4 studies, 846 participants; low-certainty evidence). CHIVA may reduce slightly nerve injury (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.98; NNTH 9, 95% CI 5 to 100; 4 studies, 846 participants; low-certainty evidence) and hematoma compared to stripping (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.97; NNTH 11, 95% CI 5 to 100; 2 studies, 245 participants; low-certainty evidence). For bruising, one study found no differences between groups while another study found reduced rates of bruising in the CHIVA group compared to the stripping group. Compared to RFA, CHIVA may make little or no difference to rates of limb infection, superficial vein thrombosis, nerve injury or hematoma, but may cause more bruising (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.28; NNTH 8, CI 95% 5 to 25; 1 study, 144 participants; low-certainty evidence). Compared to endovenous laser, CHIVA may make little or no difference to rates of limb infection, superficial vein thrombosis, nerve injury or hematoma. The study comparing CHIVA versus compression did not report side effects. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There may be little or no difference in the recurrence of varicose veins when comparing CHIVA to stripping (low-certainty evidence), but CHIVA may slightly reduce nerve injury and hematoma in the lower limb (low-certainty evidence). Very limited evidence means we are uncertain of any differences in recurrence when comparing CHIVA with compression (very low-certainty evidence). CHIVA may make little or no difference to recurrence compared to RFA (low-certainty evidence), but may result in more bruising (low-certainty evidence). CHIVA may make little or no difference to recurrence and side effects compared to endovenous laser therapy (low-certainty evidence). However, we based these conclusions on a small number of trials with a high risk of bias as the effects of surgery could not be concealed, and the results were imprecise due to the low number of events. New RCTs are needed to confirm these results and to compare CHIVA with approaches other than open surgery.

Feasibility and Efficiency Study of a Population-Based Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Program in Men and Women in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Based on current evidence, one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in men using ultrasound evaluation reduces mortality related to AAA rupture and is considered cost-effective, although all-cause mortality reduction still remains in question. In Spain, there is no population screening program for AAA, so the aim of our study was to perform a pilot population screening program in our area to assess feasibility and efficiency of an AAA screening program for men and women. METHODS: A population AAA screening pilot program was performed in a Barcelona area, including 400,000 inhabitants. According to inclusion criteria, 4,730 individuals aged 65 years at the moment of the trial were invited for screening (2,089 men and 2,641 women). Primary care doctors, trained in duplex ultrasound abdominal evaluations, performed an abdominal aortic measurement. Individuals with a previous diagnosis of AAA, limited life expectancy, or wrong contact data were excluded. Participation data, aortic diameters, AAA prevalence, and related cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed. The results were used in a cost-utility model to assess the efficiency of the screening program. RESULTS: Participation was 50.3% in men and 44% in women. Eleven patients were excluded because of previously diagnosed AAA. Five new asymptomatic AAA were detected in 65-year-old men (0.5% prevalence), all being active smokers. When considering patients excluded for previous AAA diagnosis, the prevalence in 65-year-old men reached 1.4%. Global AAA prevalence in smoking men reached 2.67%. No AAA was detected in women. Subaneurysmal aorta prevalence in men was 2.9% (n = 29), and in women, it was 0.08% (n = 2). A cost-utility analysis model on screening versus no screening retrieved 13,664€ per quality-adjusted life years at a 10-year horizon and 39,455€ per quality-adjusted life years at a 30-year horizon. CONCLUSIONS: AAA population-based screening by ultrasound evaluation in primary care is logistically feasible in our area. Despite that, AAA prevalence is lower than expected in men, and null in women. Cost-utility model results indicate that a local AAA screening program is only efficient in a 30 years' time horizon. Such inefficient results for a population screening make it necessary to consider other strategies such as opportunistic or subgroup screening in our area.

Cauda Equina Syndrome Caused by Epidural Venous Plexus Engorgement in a Patient with May-Thurner Syndrome.

The purpose of this article is to present a case of cauda equina syndrome in a patient with incomplete motor and sensory deficits due to epidural venous plexus engorgement, owing to May-Thurner syndrome successfully treated with venous iliac stenting. A 40-year-old woman, with previous history of deep vein thrombosis and miscarriages, gradually developed right leg and back pain, with functional limitation, perineal hypoesthesia, and sphincter incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed epidural venous plexus engorgement and cauda equina roots involvement. Phlebography showed perimedullary venous enlargement and left common iliac vein stenosis, leading to the diagnosis of May-Thurner syndrome. Stenting of the left common iliac vein was performed resulting in pain improvement and disappearance of neurological symptoms. Thrombophilia study was positive to heterozygous factor V Leiden. Cauda equina syndrome as the first presentation of a May-Thurner syndrome is very rare. In this case, venous iliac stent placement was an effective and safe treatment.

Long-Term Outcomes of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Focused on Bird Beak and Oversizing in Blunt Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Injury.

BACKGROUND: The acute aortic arch angle and narrow aortic diameter in young patients may lead to bird-beak configuration and excessive oversizing of the stent graft in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for blunt traumatic thoracic aortic injury (BTTAI). Little is known about the association of these factors and complications in long-term follow-up. We evaluated the long-term outcomes in terms of complications, reinterventions, and survival, focusing on the effects of bird-beak configuration and oversizing. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included patients who underwent TEVAR for BTTAI in our department between October 1999 and January 2015. The main outcomes were migration, collapse, intragraft mural thrombus, reintervention, and survival and their association with oversizing and bird-beak configuration. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included. Median age was 36 years, and 21% were women. Mean graft oversizing was 19% (range: 8-27%) at the proximal end and 27% (range:, -20% to 50%) at the distal end. Mean follow-up was 98 months (12-198 months). Seven patients presented intragraft mural thrombus, one of whom developed an occlusive parietal thrombosis 1 year after the procedure. Four patients (9%) required reintervention: postoperative revascularization of the left subclavian artery in 2 cases and aortic reinterventions in 2 others. No migration or mortality was seen during follow-up. Bird-beak configuration was seen in 65%: the mean protrusion extension was 16 mm (standard deviation [SD]: 7.4 mm) and the mean angle was 51° (SD: 16°). The association between the complications and bird beak was not statistically significant. Patients with complications had significantly higher proximal end oversizing (23%) than the group with no complications (17%) (P = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR for BTTAI shows good results in the long-term follow-up. Complications in our series seemed related to proximal end oversizing. Thoracic stent grafts with a smaller diameter should be available in all trauma centers to avoid excessive oversizing.

[Cost-effectiveness of the deep vein thrombosis diagnosis process in primary care]. / Estudio coste efectividad del proceso diagnóstico de la trombosis venosa profunda desde la atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the cost effectiveness of the application of diagnostic algorithms in patients with a first episode of suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Primary Care compared with systematic referral to specialised centres. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional, analytical study. LOCATION: Patients from hospital emergency rooms referred from Primary Care to complete clinical evaluation and diagnosis. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 138 patients with symptoms of a first episode of DVT were recruited; 22 were excluded (no Primary Care report, symptoms for more than 30 days, anticoagulant treatment, and previous DVT). Of the 116 patients finally included, 61% women and the mean age was 71 years. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Variables from the Wells and Oudega clinical probability scales, D-dimer (portable and hospital), Doppler ultrasound, and direct costs generated by the three algorithms analysed: all patients were referred systematically, referral according to Wells and Oudega scale. RESULTS: DVT was confirmed in 18.9%. The two clinical probability scales showed a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 85.1 to 100) and a specificity of about 40%. With the application of the scales, one third of all referrals to hospital emergency rooms could have been avoided (P<.001). The diagnostic cost could have been reduced by € 8,620 according to Oudega and € 9,741 according to Wells, per 100 patients visited. CONCLUSION: The application of diagnostic algorithms when a DVT is suspected could lead to better diagnostic management by physicians, and a more cost effective process.