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Test Code DDIMSQ D-Dimer, Quantitative, Blood

Important Note

Due to specimen stability issues, this test cannot be collected at sites other than St Joseph Hospital.  Please ask patients to come to the hospital lab for their specimen collection.

Additional Codes

EPIC:  LAB313

Methodology

Photometric

Used in detecting or monitoring a fibrin-based thrombotic event.   

Performing Laboratory

St. Joseph Hospital

Specimen Requirements

Draw a full, light blue-top (3.2% sodium citrate) tube and send sodium citrate whole blood in original collection container. Invert several times to mix blood thoroughly

Centrifuge for 15 mins at 2000-2500g.   Plasma storage is 8 hours at ambient temperature.  Plasma may be frozen at -20C for up to one month.

Reference Values

<0.46 mg/L FEU (normal, healthy subjects)

Maximum sensitivity for exclusion of DVT/PE is realized with a cutoff of 0.5 mg/L FEU. 

A D-Dimer result <0.50 mg/L is considered negative and a result ≥0.50 mg/L is considered positive.

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

Available STAT

Test Classification and CPT Coding

85379

Clinical Significance

One of the main clinical applications of D-dimer is the exclusion of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) when the D-dimer level is inferior to a predefined cut-off.  This test is intended for use in conjunction with a clinical pretest probability (PTP) assessment model to exclude pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in outpatients suspected of PE or DVT.  Additional clinical applications include evaluation of DIC and other activated states of coagulation such as post-operative period, cancers, bleeding, and severe infections.