title: Plasma D-dimer as a marker for postoperative deep venous thrombosis. A study after total hip or knee arthroplasty.
abstract: Plasma levels of D-dimer have been found useful as a marker of deep venous thrombosis in those patients in whom thrombosis is suspected, but their usefulness in postoperative screening is less clear. We have investigated the relationship of D-dimer to deep venous thrombosis in 90 patients after total hip and knee arthroplasty. From the first postoperative day the D-dimer levels were found to be highly significantly raised in patients with deep venous thrombosis. A combined result over the first six postoperative days in excess of 1200 ng/ml correlated with thrombosis with a specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 45%, positive predictive value of 60%, and negative predictive value of 100%. However, individual estimations were not discriminatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Triffitt
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Crozier
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gregg
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D