A higher d-dimer threshold safely rules-out pulmonary embolism in very elderly emergency department patients.
Thromb Res
; 133(3): 380-3, 2014 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24439678
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
D-dimer is commonly used in the workup of suspected Pulmonary Embolism (PE), but its specificity decreases with age. We evaluated whether using a higher cutoff value for D-dimer could increase the test specificity without reducing its sensitivity for ruling-out PE in elderly and very elderly patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). MATERIAL ANDMETHODS:
All patients with D-dimer and pulmonary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) performed in the ED of Vimercate Hospital, from 2010 through 2012 for clinical suspicion of PE were included in this retrospective cohort study.RESULTS:
Study population 481 patients (63.4% women, mean age 73.0 ± 16.1 years, confirmed PE 22.5%). In very elderly patients (aged 80 or more years, n=191), compared with standard 490 ng/mL D-dimer threshold, both higher fixed (1000 ng/mL) and age-adjusted cutoffs increase the specificity of D-dimer for the exclusion of PE maintaining a Negative Predictive Value of 100%. Potentially avoided CTAs were 12(6.3%) using 1000 ng/mL cutoff and 10(5.2%) age-adjusted. In very elderly patients the Number Needed to Test was incalculable for the standard cutoff (0 cases), 16 for 1000 ng/mL and 19 for age-adjusted. In patients with PE, index episode mortality was 6.5%, and death occurred only in subjects with D-dimer values above 1000ng/mL and age-adjusted thresholds.CONCLUSION:
For very elderly patients with suspected PE in ED, both higher fixed D-dimer (1000 ng/mL) and age-adjusted thresholds increase test specificity for excluding PE without reducing its sensitivity, leading to a safe reduction in the number of CTAs.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Embolia Pulmonar
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Produtos de Degradação da Fibrina e do Fibrinogênio
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
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Etiology_studies
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Incidence_studies
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Observational_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
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Aged80
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article