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  • Point-of-care D-dimer tests can contribute to patient management in outpatients with suspected venous thromboembolism, particularly those at low risk

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Diagnosis
Systematic review
Point-of-care D-dimer tests can contribute to patient management in outpatients with suspected venous thromboembolism, particularly those at low risk
  1. M Tan,
  2. M V Huisman
  1. Department of General Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to M V Huisman
    Department of General Internal Medicine - Endocrinology, Section of Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300RC Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands; m.v.huisman{at}lumc.nl

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebm1004

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    Commentary on: Geersing GJ, Janssen KJ, Oudega R, et al. Excluding venous thromboembolism using point of care D-dimer tests in outpatients: a diagnostic meta-analysis. BMJ 2009;339:b2990.OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text

    Several studies have assessed the accuracy of D-dimer testing in the diagnostic process for venous thromboembolism (VTE). A meta-analysis of the conventional D-dimer tests showed high sensitivities for enzymelinked fluorescent assay, microplate ELISA and latex quantitative assays, at the cost of lower specificity.1 These tests can therefore reliably exclude a VTE, but at the expense of more testing. In addition, a low pretest probability combined with a negative D-dimer test can safely exclude a VTE.2 Recently, newer point-of-care (POC) D-dimer tests have become available. Among the advantages of these tests …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None.