Imaging

D-Dimer test may eliminate need for 60% of CT angiograms of the lungs

Published in Respiratory Therapeutics Week, June 21st, 2004

The use of a D-dimer test as the first step in the diagnosis of blood clots in the lungs could eliminate the need for up to 60% of all CT angiograms of the lungs, says a new study by researchers from the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Honolulu.

D-dimer tests measure the amount of D-dimer in a person's blood. D-dimer is a breakdown product of the protein fibrin, which is found in blood clots. People with an unusual amount of D-dimer in their blood presumably have blood clots somewhere in their body.

The study looked at 426 patients who underwent both CT angiography of the lungs and D-dimer level evaluation. A total of 84 of those patients had negative...

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Source: Respiratory Therapeutics Week (2004-06-21)

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