D-dimers: a most misunderstood test
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Scott Houston; Jecko Thachil; Luke Carter-Brzezinski
- Source
- British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 82:1-5
- Subject
- medicine.medical_specialty
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
SARS-CoV-2
business.industry
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
COVID-19
Clinical settings
Venous Thromboembolism
General Medicine
Test (assessment)
Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products
medicine
Humans
Intensive care medicine
business
Pandemics
Venous thromboembolism
- Language
- ISSN
- 1759-7390
1750-8460
The role of D-dimers in the management of venous thromboembolism is well established and testing for D-dimers has become common in most acute settings. Although it has been validated for the purpose of excluding venous thromboembolism, the test is increasingly ordered to ‘diagnose’ venous thromboembolism. Furthermore, in the COVID-19 pandemic, heavy reliance has been put on this test with the inclusion of D-dimers to guide treatment pathways. This review summarises the appropriateness of D-dimer tests in these different clinical settings.