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Alshalhoub M, Alhusain F, Alsulaiman F, Alturki A, Aldayel S, Alsalamah M. Clinical significance of elevated D-dimer in emergency department patients: a retrospective single-center analysis. Int J Emerg Med 2024; 17:47. [PMID: 38566042 PMCID: PMC10988841 DOI: 10.1186/s12245-024-00620-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION D-dimer is a marker of coagulation and fibrinolysis widely used in clinical practice for assessing thrombotic activity. While it is commonly ordered in the Emergency Department (ED) for suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE), elevated D-dimer levels can occur due to various other disorders. The aim of this study was to find out the causes of elevated D-dimer in patients presenting to a large ED in Saudi Arabia and evaluate the accuracy of D-dimer in diagnosing these conditions. METHODS Data was collected from an electronic hospital information system of patients who visited the ED from January 2016 to December 2022. Demographic information, comorbidities, D-dimer levels, and diagnoses were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. The different diagnoses associated with D-dimer levels were analyzed by plotting the median D-dimer levels for each diagnosis category and their interquartile ranges (IQR). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated and their area under the curve (AUC) values were demonstrated. The optimal cut-off points for specific diseases were determined based on the ROC analysis, along with their corresponding sensitivities and specificities. RESULTS A total of 19,258 patients with D-dimer results were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 50 years with a standard deviation of ± 18. Of the patients, 66% were female and 21.2% were aged 65 or above. Additionally, 21% had diabetes mellitus, 20.4% were hypertensive, and 15.1% had been diagnosed with dyslipidemia. The median D-dimer levels varied across different diagnoses, with the highest level observed in aortic aneurysm 5.46 g/L. Pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were found in 729 patients (3.8%) of our study population and their median D-dimer levels 3.07 g/L (IQR: 1.35-7.05 g/L) and 3.36 g/L (IQR: 1.06-8.38 g/L) respectively. On the other hand, 1767 patients (9.2%) were diagnosed with respiratory infections and 936 patients (4.9%) were diagnosed with shortness of breath (not specified) with median D-dimer levels of 0.76 g/L (IQR: 0.40-1.47 g/L) and 0.51 g/L (IQR: 0.29-1.06 g/L), respectively. D-dimer levels showed superior or excellent discrimination for PE (AUC = 0.844), leukemia (AUC = 0.848), and aortic aneurysm (AUC = 0.963). DVT and aortic dissection demonstrated acceptable discrimination, with AUC values of 0.795 and 0.737, respectively. D-dimer levels in respiratory infections and shortness of breath (not specified) exhibited poor to discriminatory performance. CONCLUSION This is the first paper to identify multiple causes of elevated D-dimer levels in Saudi Arabia population within the ED and it clearly highlights their accurate and diagnostic values. These findings draw attention to the importance of considering the specific clinical context and utilizing additional diagnostic tools when evaluating patients with elevated D-dimer levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alshalhoub
- Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Faisal Alhusain
- Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Feras Alsulaiman
- Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Alturki
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saud Aldayel
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Alsalamah
- Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Sartori M, Borgese L, Favaretto E, Lasala E, Bortolotti R, Cosmi B. Age-adjusted D-dimer, clinical pre-test probability-adjusted D-dimer, and whole leg ultrasound in ruling out suspected proximal and calf deep venous thrombosis. Am J Hematol 2023; 98:1772-1779. [PMID: 37646542 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
D-dimer (DD) and ultrasonography (US) are part of the diagnostic workup for lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Recent studies have shown that adjusting DD level cut-offs by age or clinical pre-test probability (PTP) decreases the use of US. We compared diagnostic accuracy of PTP-adjusted DD and age-adjusted DD in 3883 patients (F: 61.1%; age: 65.3 ± 16.8 y) referred to our unit for clinically suspected DVT. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, DD, and US. Proximal DVT was detected in 477 (12.4%) patients, and distal DVT was isolated in 342 (8.9%) patients. In the remaining 3064 patients there were 23 venous thromboembolic events (0.75%, 95% CI: 0.50-1.12) during the 3-month follow-up. The specificities of DD, age-adjusted DD, and PTP-adjusted DD in patients without high PTP levels were 47% (95% CI: 45-49), 61% (95% CI: 59-62), and 67% (95% CI: 65-68), respectively. The negative predictive value (NPV) was 96% (95% CI: 95-97) for all diagnostic strategies. When only proximal DVTs were considered, the NPV increased to 99% (95% CI: 98-99). US was avoided in 37% (95% CI: 36-38) of patients with a fixed cut-off DD, 48% (95% CI: 47-50) with age-adjusted DD, and 52% (95% CI: 51-54) with PTP-adjusted DD. The failure rate for all DVTs of DD, age-adjusted DD, and PTP-adjusted DD was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.6-2.5), 2.7% (95% CI: 2.2-3.2), and 2.5% (95% CI: 2.1-3.0), respectively. Compared with the standard DD cut-off, both age-adjusted and PTP-adjusted DD reduced the proportion of patients who required US at the cost of a small increase in failure rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelangelo Sartori
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Borgese
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Favaretto
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisa Lasala
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolotti
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Benilde Cosmi
- Angiology and Blood Coagulation Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Westafer LM, Long B, Gottlieb M. Managing Pulmonary Embolism. Ann Emerg Med 2023; 82:394-402. [PMID: 36805291 PMCID: PMC10432572 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Westafer
- Department for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, MA.
| | - Brit Long
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Michael Gottlieb
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
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Barrett L, Jones T, Horner D. The application of an age adjusted D-dimer threshold to rule out suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE) in an emergency department setting: a retrospective diagnostic cohort study. BMC Emerg Med 2022; 22:186. [PMID: 36418964 PMCID: PMC9684767 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-022-00736-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Venous Thromboembolic disease (VTE) poses a diagnostic challenge for clinicians in acute care. Over reliance on reference standard investigations can lead to over treatment and potential harm. We sought to evaluate the pragmatic performance and implications of using an age adjusted D-dimer (AADD) strategy to rule out VTE in patients with suspected disease attending an emergency department (ED) setting. We aimed to determine diagnostic test characteristics and assess whether this strategy would result in proportional imaging reduction and potential cost savings. METHODS Design: Single centre retrospective diagnostic cohort study. All patients > 50 years old evaluated for possible VTE who presented to the emergency department over a consecutive 12-month period between January and December 2016 with a positive D-dimer result. Clinical assessment records and reference standard imaging results were followed up by multiple independent adjudicators and coded as VTE positive or negative. RESULTS During the study period, there were 2132 positive D-dimer results. One thousand two hundred thirty-six patients received reference standard investigations. A total increase of 314/1236 (25.1%) results would have been coded as true negatives as opposed to false positive if the AADD cut off point had been applied, with 314 reference standard tests subsequently avoided. The AADD cut off had comparable sensitivity to the current cut off despite this increase in specificity; sensitivities for the diagnosis of DVT were 99.28% (95% CI 96.06-99.98%) and 97.72% for PE (95% CI 91.94% to 97.72). There were 3 false negative results using the AADD strategy. CONCLUSIONS In patients with suspected VTE with a low or moderate pre-test probability, the application of AADD appears to increase the proportion of patients in which VTE can be excluded without the need for reference standard imaging. This management strategy is likely to be associated with substantial reduction in anticoagulation treatment, investigations and cost/time savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Barrett
- grid.24029.3d0000 0004 0383 8386Emergency Department, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ UK ,grid.5335.00000000121885934University Division of Anaesthesia, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tom Jones
- grid.417286.e0000 0004 0422 2524Wythenshawe Hospital, University of Hospital of South Manchester, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, M23 9LT UK
| | - Daniel Horner
- grid.412346.60000 0001 0237 2025Emergency Department, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Stott Lane, Salford, UK ,grid.5379.80000000121662407Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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De Pooter N, Brionne-François M, Smahi M, Abecassis L, Toulon P. Age-adjusted D-dimer cut-off levels to rule out venous thromboembolism in patients with non-high pre-test probability: Clinical performance and cost-effectiveness analysis. J Thromb Haemost 2021; 19:1271-1282. [PMID: 33638267 DOI: 10.1111/jth.15278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As aging was found to be associated with increased D-dimer levels, the question arose whether D-dimer measurement was useful in the diagnostic strategy of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in elderly patients. AIM OF THE STUDY To compare retrospectively the performance of six diagnostic strategies based on the three-level Wells scores and various cut-off levels for D-dimer, evaluated using the HemosIL D-Dimer HS 500 assay, in a derivation cohort of 644 outpatients with non-high pretest probability (PTP) of VTE. The clinical usefulness of the best-performing strategy was then confirmed in a multicenter validation study involving 1255 consecutive outpatients with non-high PTP. RESULTS The diagnostic strategy based on the age-adjusted cut-off level calculated by multiplying the patient's age by 10 above 50 years was found to perform the best in the derivation study with a better sensitivity-to-specificity ratio than the conventional strategy based on the fixed cut-off level (500 ng/ml), a higher specificity and a negative predictive value (NPV) above 99%. Such an increase in test specificity was confirmed in the validation cohort, with the NPV remaining above 99%. Taking into account the local reimbursement rates of diagnostic tests, using this strategy led to a 6.9% reduction of diagnostic costs for pulmonary embolism and a 5.1% reduction for deep vein thrombosis, as imaging tests would be avoided in a higher percentage of patients. CONCLUSION The diagnostic strategy of VTE based on the age-adjusted cut-off level for D-dimer in patients over 50 years was found to be safe, with NPV above 99%, and cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neila De Pooter
- Hematology Laboratory, Emile Müller Regional Hospital, Mulhouse, France
- Hematology Laboratory, Grasse Hospital, Grasse, France
| | | | - Motalib Smahi
- Hematology Laboratory, Simone Veil Hospital, Eaubonne, France
| | - Lien Abecassis
- Hematology Laboratory, Jean Verdier Hospital, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
| | - Pierre Toulon
- Hematology Department, Côte d'Azur University, Pasteur University Hospital, Nice, France
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Abolfotouh MA, Almadani K, Al Rowaily MA. Diagnostic Accuracy of D-Dimer Testing and the Revised Geneva Score in the Prediction of Pulmonary Embolism. Int J Gen Med 2020; 13:1537-1543. [PMID: 33363402 PMCID: PMC7751841 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s289289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis can sometimes be challenging due to the disease having nonspecific signs and symptoms at the time of presentation. The present study aimed to evaluate the validity of the D-dimer in combination with the revised Geneva score (RGS) in the prediction of pulmonary embolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study of 2010 patients with suspected PE who had undergone both D-dimer testing followed by chest CT angiography (CTPA), irrespective of the D-dimer test results, at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over 3 years, from Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2019. The predictive accuracy of D-dimer, adjusted D-dimer, and RGS was calculated. The receiver operating characteristic "ROC" curve was applied to allocate the optimum RGS cutoff for PE prediction. RESULTS The overall prevalence of PE was 16%. It was 0%, 25.8%, and 88.9% in low, intermediate, and high clinical probability categories of RGS, respectively. Both conventional and age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds showed significant level of agreement (kappa=0.81, p<0.001), high sensitivity (94% and 92.8%), high negative predictive value "NPV" (91.2% and 91.4%), low specificity (12.3% and 15.3%), and low positive predictive value "PPV" (17.5% and 17.8%), respectively. Combination of the age-adjusted D-dimer threshold and RGS at a cut-off of 5 points would provide 100% sensitivity and 61.7% specificity 34.1% PPV, 100% NPV, and 0.87 area under the curve "AUC". At an RGS cutoff <5 points, PE could have been ruled out in more than one-half (1036, 51.5%) of all suspected cases, and would have saved the cost of CTPA. CONCLUSION Conventional and age-adjusted D-dimer tests showed high levels of agreement in the prediction of PE, high sensitivity, and low specificity. RGS has a good performance in PE prediction. Using the revised Geneva score alone rules out PE for more than one-half of all suspected without further imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa A Abolfotouh
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Saud Bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled Almadani
- King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A Al Rowaily
- King Saud Bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Fox AH, Tanner NT. Approaches to lung nodule risk assessment: clinician intuition versus prediction models. J Thorac Dis 2020; 12:3296-3302. [PMID: 32642253 PMCID: PMC7330782 DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2020.03.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary nodules are increasingly identified on imaging exams performed for a number of clinical presentations and can pose a diagnostic problem for clinicians. Guideline-directed management algorithms are structured on nodule pre-test probability of malignancy. The risk of malignancy can be clinician-assigned or calculated utilizing validated risk prediction calculators. Once pre-test probability of cancer is estimated, nodule management options range from a conservative approach with serial imaging to more invasive measures including biopsy procedures or surgical resection. Here we review pulmonary nodule management with a focus on methods for assigning malignancy risk and highlight novel ways currently under active research to improve nodule risk assessment and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam H Fox
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Nichole T Tanner
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Health Equity and Rural Outreach Innovation Center (HEROIC), Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Hospital, Charleston, SC, USA
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Clinical Policy: Critical Issues in the Evaluation and Management of Adult Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Suspected Acute Venous Thromboembolic Disease. Ann Emerg Med 2018; 71:e59-e109. [PMID: 29681319 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Parks C, Bounds R, Davis B, Caplan R, Laughery T, Zeserson E. Investigation of age-adjusted D-dimer using an uncommon assay. Am J Emerg Med 2018; 37:1285-1288. [PMID: 30291035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Use of an age-adjusted D-dimer for the evaluation of acute pulmonary embolus (PE) has been prospectively validated in the literature and has become a practice recommendation from major medical societies. Most research on this subject involves the most common D-dimer assays reporting in Fibrinogen Equivalent Units (FEU) with a non-age-adjusted manufacturer-recommended cutoff of 500 ng/ml FEU. Limited research to date has evaluated age-adjustment in assays that report in D-Dimer Units (D-DU), which use a manufacturer-recommended cutoff of 230 ng/ml D-DU. Despite scant evidence, an age-adjusted formula using D-DU has been recently endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). This formula seems arbitrary in its derivation and unnecessarily deviates from existing thresholds, thus prompting the creation of our novel-age adjustment formula. The goal of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the test characteristics of our novel age-adjusted D-dimer formula using the D-DU assay in comparison to existing traditional and age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds for the evaluation of acute PE in the ED. METHODS This was a retrospective chart review at an academic quaternary health system with three EDs and 195,000 combined annual ED visits. Only patients with D-dimer testing and CT PE protocol (CTPE) imaging were included. Admission and discharge diagnosis codes were used to identify acute PE. Outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of an unadjusted traditional threshold (230) compared with both novel and ACEP-endorsed age adjusted thresholds, (Age × 5) - 20 and Age × 5 if >50, respectively. Estimates with their exact 95% threshold were performed. RESULTS 4846 adult patients were evaluated from January 2012 to July 2017. Group characteristics include a mean age of 52 and a frequency of acute PE diagnosis by CTPE of 8.25%. Traditional D-dimer cutoff demonstrated a sensitivity of 99.8% (95% CI 98.6-100), specificity of 16.7% (95% CI 15.6-17.8) and NPV of 99.9% (95% CI 99.3-100). Our novel age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds had a sensitivity of 97.0% (95% CI 94.8-98.4), specificity of 27.9% (95% CI 26.6-29.2) and NPV of 99.0% (95% CI 98.3-99.5) with the ACEP-endorsed formula demonstrating similar test characteristics. CONCLUSION Use of an age-adjusted D-dimer on appropriately selected patients being evaluated for acute PE in the ED with a D-DU assay increases specificity while maintaining a high sensitivity and NPV. Both our novel formula and the ACEP-endorsed age-adjusted formula performed well, with our novel formula showing a trend towards improved testing characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Parks
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718, United States of America.
| | - Richard Bounds
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05041, United States of America
| | - Barbara Davis
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718, United States of America
| | - Richard Caplan
- Value Institute, Christiana Care Health System, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718, United States of America
| | - Tom Laughery
- Value Institute, Christiana Care Health System, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718, United States of America
| | - Eli Zeserson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718, United States of America
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Glober N, Tainter CR, Brennan J, Darocki M, Klingfus M, Choi M, Derksen B, Rudolf F, Wardi G, Castillo E, Chan T. Use of the d-dimer for Detecting Pulmonary Embolism in the Emergency Department. J Emerg Med 2018; 54:585-592. [PMID: 29502865 DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assessment for pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department (ED) remains complex, involving clinical decision tools, blood tests, and imaging. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to examine the test characteristics of the high-sensitivity d-dimer for the diagnosis of PE at our institution and evaluate use of the d-dimer and factors associated with a falsely elevated d-dimer. METHODS We retrospectively collected data on adult patients evaluated with a d-dimer and computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiogram or ventilation perfusion scan at two EDs between June 4, 2012 and March 30, 2016. We collected symptoms (dyspnea, unilateral leg swelling, hemoptysis), vital signs, and medical and social history (cancer, recent surgery, medications, history of deep vein thrombosis or PE, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking). We calculated test characteristics, including sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios for the assay using conventional threshold and with age adjustment, and performed a univariate analysis. RESULTS We found 3523 unique visits with d-dimer and imaging, detecting 198 PE. Imaging was pursued on 1270 patients with negative d-dimers, revealing 9 false negatives, and d-dimer was sent on 596 patients for whom negative Pulmonary Embolism Rule-Out Criteria (PERC) were documented with 2% subsequent radiographic detection of PE. The d-dimer showed a sensitivity of 95.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91-98%), specificity of 40.0% (95% CI 38-42%), negative likelihood ratio of 0.11 (95% CI 0.06-0.21), and positive likelihood ratio of 1.59 (95% CI 1.53-1.66) for the radiographic detection of PE. With age adjustment, 347 of the 2253 CT scans that were pursued in patients older than 50 years with an elevated d-dimer could have been avoided without missing any additional PE. Many risk factors, such as age, history of PE, recent surgery, shortness of breath, tachycardia and hypoxia, elevated the d-dimer, regardless of the presence of PE. CONCLUSIONS Many patients with negative d-dimer and PERC still received imaging. Our data support the use of age adjustment, and perhaps adjustment for other factors seen in patients evaluated for PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Glober
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Christopher R Tainter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Jesse Brennan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Mark Darocki
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Morgan Klingfus
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Michelle Choi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Brenna Derksen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Frances Rudolf
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Gabriel Wardi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Edward Castillo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Theodore Chan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California
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Riva N, Camporese G, Iotti M, Bucherini E, Righini M, Kamphuisen PW, Verhamme P, Douketis JD, Tonello C, Prandoni P, Ageno W. Age-adjusted D-dimer to rule out deep vein thrombosis: findings from the PALLADIO algorithm. J Thromb Haemost 2018; 16:271-278. [PMID: 29125695 DOI: 10.1111/jth.13905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Essentials The accuracy of the age-adjusted D-dimer in suspected venous thromboembolism is still debated. We assessed the performance of age-adjusted D-dimer combined with the PALLADIO algorithm. The age-adjusted threshold can reduce the need for imaging tests compared to the fixed cut-off. The safety of this approach should be confirmed in large management studies. SUMMARY Background Age-adjusted D-dimer has been proposed to increase specificity for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the accuracy of this threshold has been recently questioned. Objectives To assess the diagnostic performance of age-adjusted D-dimer combined with clinical pretest probability (PTP) in patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Methods PALLADIO (NCT01412242) was a multicenter management study that validated a new diagnostic algorithm, incorporating PTP, D-dimer (using the manufacturer's cut-off) and limited or extended compression ultrasonography (CUS) in outpatients with clinically suspected DVT. Patients with unlikely PTP and negative D-dimer had DVT ruled out without further testing (group 1); patients with likely PTP or positive D-dimer underwent limited CUS (group 2); patients with likely PTP and positive D-dimer underwent extended CUS (group 3). Patients with DVT ruled out at baseline had a 3-month follow-up. In this post-hoc analysis we evaluated age-adjusted D-dimer cut-off (defined as age times 10 μg L-1 , or age times 5 μg L-1 for D-dimers with a lower manufacturer's cut-off, in patients > 50 years). Results In total, 1162 patients were enrolled. At initial visit, DVT was detected in 4.0% of patients in group 2 and 53.0% in group 3. The age-adjusted D-dimer, compared with the fixed cut-off, resulted in 5.1% (95% CI, 4.0-6.5%) reduction of CUS. The incidence of symptomatic VTE during follow-up was: 0.24% (95% CI, 0.04-1.37) in group 1; 1.12% (95% CI, 0.44-2.85) in group 2; and 1.89% (95% CI, 0.64-5.40) in group 3. Conclusions The PALLADIO algorithm using age-adjusted D-dimer slightly decreased the number of required imaging tests, but this approach should be confirmed in large management studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Riva
- University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | | | - M Iotti
- Reggio Emilia Hospital, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | - M Righini
- Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - P W Kamphuisen
- University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - W Ageno
- University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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