A 44-year-old member asked:
can you tell me how accurate is a d dimer in ruling out a pulmonary embolisim?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sue Ferranti answered
Internal Medicine 29 years experience
Depends.....: If a d-diner is normal, then pulmonary embolism is unlikely. However, if the d-diner is elevated, it can be from many different causes, including but not limited to a pe, or pulmonary embolism. If the d-diner is elevated and the clinical scenerio fits, then pe must be ruled out with further testing, like a chest ct angiogram.
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Dr. Frank Mayo answered
Pulmonary Critical Care 48 years experience
Not accurate: A negative d-dimer is helpful in excluding pulmonary embolism in pts at low risk for the disease. It does not replace a history and physical as well as use of wells criteria or other screening tool for pulm embolism.
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A 32-year-old member asked:
How accurate is a d dimer in ruling out pulmonary embolisim?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Douglas Fronzaglia ii, do, ms answered
Geriatrics 21 years experience
Very accurate: Many things can cause an elevated d-dimer value, including blood clots, infection, and any general inflammation. This makes is a poor test determine the underlying problem. However, if it is normal, it rules many things out, including blood clots.
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Last updated Dec 23, 2013
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