Rex says
Same equations the textbooks use — just way less awkward. Pop in your stats and I'll tell you what the number actually means for you.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Wells PE score
4.5
Pretest probability
PE likely
Suggested next step
CT pulmonary angiography
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How to use this
- 1Enter clinical signs of dvt (leg swelling, pain with palpation).
- 2Enter pe is the #1 most likely diagnosis.
- 3Enter heart rate >100 bpm.
- 4Enter immobilization ≥3 days or surgery in past 4 weeks.
- 5Enter prior objectively diagnosed dvt/pe.
- 6Enter hemoptysis.
- 7Enter malignancy treated within 6 months or palliative.
- 8Read your wells pe score on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The Wells score for pulmonary embolism weighs clinical signs of DVT, heart rate, immobilization or recent surgery, prior VTE, hemoptysis, malignancy, and whether PE is judged the most likely diagnosis, producing a pretest probability that determines the diagnostic pathway. Using the simplified two-tier interpretation, a score of 4 or less makes PE "unlikely," where a negative D-dimer can exclude PE without CT, while a score above 4 makes PE "likely" and generally warrants CT pulmonary angiography directly, since D-dimer is not sensitive enough to reliably exclude PE in a high pretest probability population. The largest single weight in the score — "PE is the most likely diagnosis" at 3 points — is also the most subjective, which is a recognized criticism of the tool; clinical gestalt from an experienced clinician has been shown to perform comparably to the structured score in some studies. Age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds (age × 10 ng/mL for patients over 50) further refine the rule-out decision in low-probability patients. This tool is for education and workflow support only — not medical advice. Always verify results with a clinician and use clinical judgment alongside your institution's protocols.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Clinical signs of DVT (leg swelling, pain with palpation): No
- PE is the #1 most likely diagnosis: Yes (+3)
- Heart rate >100 bpm: Yes (+1.5)
- Immobilization ≥3 days or surgery in past 4 weeks: No
- Prior objectively diagnosed DVT/PE: No
- Hemoptysis: No
- Malignancy treated within 6 months or palliative: No
Results
- Wells PE score: 4.5
- Pretest probability: PE likely
- Suggested next step: CT pulmonary angiography
What each field means
Inputs
- Clinical signs of DVT (leg swelling, pain with palpation)
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+3), No.
- PE is the #1 most likely diagnosis
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+3), No.
- Heart rate >100 bpm
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+1.5), No.
- Immobilization ≥3 days or surgery in past 4 weeks
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+1.5), No.
- Prior objectively diagnosed DVT/PE
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+1.5), No.
- Hemoptysis
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+1), No.
- Malignancy treated within 6 months or palliative
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes (+1), No.
Results
- Wells PE score
- Returned as a decimal number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Pretest probability
- Returned as a plain value. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Suggested next step
- Returned as a plain value. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is 'PE is the most likely diagnosis' worth so many points?
It carries 3 of the possible points because it captures the clinician's overall gestalt, which studies show correlates strongly with the actual presence of PE. It's also the most subjective and criticized part of the score, since two clinicians examining the same patient may score this criterion differently.
What is age-adjusted D-dimer and why does it matter here?
D-dimer rises with age even without clot, causing more false positives in older patients if a fixed 500 ng/mL cutoff is used. Age-adjusted D-dimer (age × 10 ng/mL for patients over 50) raises the threshold in older patients, reducing unnecessary CT scans in the PE-unlikely group without missing clinically important PEs, and is now standard in many protocols.
Can this replace the Geneva score?
They are alternative, comparable tools — the Geneva score removes the subjective 'most likely diagnosis' criterion in favor of only objective variables, which some clinicians prefer for reproducibility. Neither is universally superior; use whichever your institution has validated in its diagnostic pathway.
What happens with a 'PE likely' score and a negative CT?
A negative CT pulmonary angiogram in a patient with a high pretest probability is still generally considered sufficient to exclude PE, given CTPA's high sensitivity, but persistent strong clinical suspicion despite a negative CT should prompt reconsideration of technical quality, alternative imaging (V/Q scan), or specialist consultation.
Accuracy and limitations
- Population formulas describe averages; individual bodies vary, especially at the extremes of height, age, or muscle mass.
- Results do not account for medical conditions, medication, or pregnancy.
- Use this as a directional reference, not a diagnosis — talk to a clinician before acting on it.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Wells Score for Pulmonary Embolism Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wells-pe-score
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wells-pe-score" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wells Score for Pulmonary Embolism Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Wells Score for Pulmonary Embolism Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wells-pe-score) (2026).