title: Efficacy of D-dimer and total fibrin degradation products evaluation in suspected pulmonary embolism.
abstract: Three different assays for fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) were evaluated in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) as rapid screening tests with the aim of evaluating whether they could be used either as a substitute of ventilation/perfusion lung scanning or to supplement scintigraphy in patients in whom the scan was inconclusive (low or intermediate probability). D-Dimer by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and latex and total FDP by ELISA were measured prospectively in 85 consecutive patients with suspected PE. With a cutoff of 500 ng/ml, D-dimer by ELISA presented a 96% sensitivity and a 42% specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 49 and 96%, respectively. D-Dimer by latex, also with a cutoff of 500 ng/ml showed a 93% sensitivity and 29% specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 43 and 89%. For total FDP, with a cutoff of 900 ng/ml, the sensitivity and specificity were 96 and 26% respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 42 and 93%. A normal assay may have reduced the necessity of a ventilation/perfusion only in 28% patients with D-dimer ELISA, 21% with D-dimer latex and 17% with total FDP ELISA and with a possible error of 4, 11 and 7%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lancha
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez Rodríguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García Avello
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bollo
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: García Frade
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D