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Calculator · PE — 30-day mortality risk
sPESI
The simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index. Six equally weighted criteria. A score of 0 identifies low-risk PE that may be suitable for outpatient management or early discharge; any single positive criterion makes the patient not low risk.
What it asks
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Age over 80 | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
| History of cancer | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
| Chronic cardiopulmonary disease Chronic heart failure or chronic lung disease | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
| Heart rate > 110 /min | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
| Systolic BP < 100 mmHg | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
| Oxygen saturation < 90% | No — 0 Yes — 1 |
How to read the score
| Score | Means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Low risk | About 1% 30-day mortality. Outpatient management or early discharge may be appropriate with senior agreement, reliable follow-up and no other reason to admit. |
| 1–6 | Not low risk | Admit. Assess for right ventricular strain on echo or CT and check troponin — those determine whether this is intermediate or high risk. |
Before you use it
sPESI cannot identify high-risk PE. Haemodynamic instability means high-risk PE regardless of score, and needs immediate senior and critical care input.
Source: Jiménez et al, Arch Intern Med 2010 / ESC PE Guidelines 2019
Checked, and shown
Every threshold on this page was checked against its primary source by a practising doctor. Here is what that involved, and what it found.