Wells' Criteria for PE
Risk-stratifies patients suspected of pulmonary embolism
- Highest activation tier
- Mandatory
- How it is scored
- Scored in code; a detected disagreeing draft value is flagged for correction
- Care settings
- Emergency department, ICU, Inpatient
When it activates
Scribeable activates a calculator from the encounter. The Wells' Criteria for PE can activate when the transcript or pasted chart context documents any of these:
- Suspected pulmonary embolism
- Dyspnea workup
- Chest pain with respiratory symptoms
- Post-surgical PE concern
- Unexplained hypoxia
A coded diagnosis can also activate it. ICD-10 prefixes carried by the registry: I26.
Note-type scope: it activates on notes whose subject resolves to pulmonology, emergency medicine, critical care, 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
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical signs/symptoms of DVT | exam | Leg swelling and pain with palpation of the deep veins (+3). | |
| PE as likely or more likely than alternative | symptom | PE judged as likely as, or more likely than, an alternative (+3). | |
| Heart rate >100 | vital | bpm | Scored +1.5 when greater than 100 bpm. |
| Immobilization >=3 days or surgery <4 weeks | history | Recent immobilization or surgery (+1.5). | |
| Previous DVT/PE | history | Objectively diagnosed prior VTE (+1.5). | |
| Hemoptysis | symptom | Coughing up blood (+1). | |
| Active malignancy | history | Treatment within 6 months or palliative (+1). |
Scoring
DVT signs=3, PE likely=3, HR>100=1.5, Immobilization/surgery=1.5, Prior VTE=1.5, Hemoptysis=1, Malignancy=1
DVT signs Clinical signs/symptoms of DVT + PE likely PE as likely or more likely than alternative + HR>100 Heart rate >100 + Immobilization Immobilization >=3 days or surgery <4 weeks + Prior VTE Previous DVT/PE + Hemoptysis Hemoptysis + Malignancy Active malignancy
Interpretation
<=4: PE unlikely - D-dimer. >4: PE likely - proceed to CTA. Three-tier: 0-1 low (1.3%), 2-6 moderate (16.2%), >6 high (37.5%).
Evidence
Sources carried in Scribeable's citation registry for this calculator.
- Wells PS et al. Derivation of a simple clinical model to categorize patients probability of pulmonary embolismWells et al. 2001 · 2001 · Level I · link last verified 2026-03-23
How Scribeable handles it in the note
When an encounter activates the Wells' Criteria for PE 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 PE 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.