PERC Rule

Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria for low-risk patients.

IMPORTANT: PERC applies ONLY to patients with LOW clinical suspicion for PE.

PERC Criteria

Coursera Holi Offer

Build your AI fluency and get more done, faster. Get the AI skills employers are looking for and create 20+ solutions you can use at work, right away.

Start Learning

PERC Result

Negative

PE ruled out (if low pretest probability)

No Testing Needed

• PE is effectively ruled out
• D-dimer NOT indicated
• Consider alternative diagnoses

The 8 PERC Criteria

✓ Age ≥ 50 years

✓ Heart rate ≥ 100 bpm

✓ O2 saturation < 95%

✓ Unilateral leg swelling

✓ Hemoptysis

✓ Recent trauma/surgery (4 wks)

✓ Prior DVT or PE

✓ Hormone use (OCP, HRT)

Reference: Kline JA, et al. J Thromb Haemost 2004.

Frequently Asked Questions