Wells' Criteria for DVT
Risk-stratifies patients suspected of deep vein thrombosis to guide diagnostic workup
- Highest activation tier
- Mandatory
- How it is scored
- Scored in code; a detected disagreeing draft value is flagged for correction
- Care settings
- Emergency department, Inpatient
When it activates
Scribeable activates a calculator from the encounter. The Wells' Criteria for DVT can activate when the transcript or pasted chart context documents any of these:
- Suspected deep vein thrombosis
- Unilateral leg swelling
- Leg pain with risk factors
- Post-surgical DVT concern
- Calf tenderness evaluation
- Lower extremity edema workup
A coded diagnosis can also activate it. ICD-10 prefixes carried by the registry: I82.
Note-type scope: it activates on notes whose subject resolves to emergency medicine, hospital medicine, cardiology. A note that resolves to another subject does not carry it even when the clinician's specialty matches; a note with no resolvable subject (a generic consultation) falls back to the specialty match.
Inputs the note needs
10 inputs. Each is resolved from the transcript, the pasted chart context and charted labs; an input marked "asks you" is requested as a clarification when it is undocumented.
| Input | Type | Unit / options | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active cancer (treatment within 6 months or palliative) | history | Treatment within 6 months or palliative (+1). | |
| Paralysis, paresis, or recent leg immobilization | history | Recent plaster immobilization of the lower extremity (+1). | |
| Bedridden >3 days or major surgery within 12 weeks | history | Recently bedridden or major surgery requiring anesthesia (+1). | |
| Localized tenderness along deep venous system | exam | Tenderness along the distribution of the deep veins (+1). | |
| Entire leg swollen | exam | Swelling of the whole leg (+1). | |
| Calf swelling >3 cm compared to asymptomatic leg | exam | Measured 10 cm below the tibial tuberosity (+1). | |
| Pitting edema confined to symptomatic leg | exam | Pitting edema greater in the symptomatic leg (+1). | |
| Collateral superficial veins (non-varicose) | exam | Visible collateral non-varicose superficial veins (+1). | |
| Previously documented DVT | history | Objectively diagnosed prior DVT (+1). | |
| Alternative diagnosis at least as likely as DVT | symptom | An alternative diagnosis as likely or more likely than DVT (-2). |
Scoring
Active cancer (+1), Paralysis/paresis/immobilization (+1), Bedridden >3d or major surgery <12wk (+1), Localized tenderness along deep veins (+1), Entire leg swollen (+1), Calf swelling >3cm vs other leg (+1), Pitting edema in symptomatic leg (+1), Collateral superficial veins (+1), Previously documented DVT (+1), Alternative diagnosis as likely as DVT (-2). Total range: -2 to 9.
Cancer Active cancer (treatment within 6 months or palliative) + Paralysis/paresis Paralysis, paresis, or recent leg immobilization + Bedridden/surgery Bedridden >3 days or major surgery within 12 weeks + Tenderness Localized tenderness along deep venous system + Leg swollen Entire leg swollen + Calf>3cm Calf swelling >3 cm compared to asymptomatic leg + Pitting edema Pitting edema confined to symptomatic leg + Collateral veins Collateral superficial veins (non-varicose) + Prior DVT Previously documented DVT − 2×Alt dx Alternative diagnosis at least as likely as DVT
Interpretation
Score ≥2: DVT likely - proceed to ultrasound. Score <2: DVT unlikely - D-dimer first; if negative, DVT excluded; if positive, proceed to ultrasound. Three-tier interpretation: 0 points = 5% prevalence, 1-2 = 17%, ≥3 = 53%.
Evidence
Sources carried in Scribeable's citation registry for this calculator.
- Wells PS et al. Evaluation of D-dimer in the diagnosis of suspected deep-vein thrombosisWells et al. 2003 · 2003 · Level I · link last verified 2026-03-23
How Scribeable handles it in the note
When an encounter activates the Wells' Criteria for DVT at the mandatory tier, Scribeable resolves its inputs from the transcript, the pasted chart context and any charted labs, and asks you for a missing input you can supply before the note is finalised. Bedside-exam and separately ordered study values are not requested one input at a time; a calculator that carries a combined clarification question may still put that single question to you.
The score is computed in code from the resolved inputs, not recalled by the language model. If the draft states a Wells' Criteria for DVT value that disagrees with the computed one, the disagreement is flagged to the second drafting pass, which is instructed to correct the score and its interpretation before you see the note.
Classified as a mandatory rule-out score: a missed result carries acute harm, so the activation filter never approves it on uncertainty.
See it activate on your own encounter
14 days of full Pro. No sales call.
14-day Pro trial with a card on file. $79/month starts 14 days after your trial begins unless you cancel first. Cancel any time from Settings > Billing.