title: D-dimer as marker for microcirculatory failure: correlation with LOD and APACHE II scores.
abstract: The relevance of plasma d-dimer levels as marker for morbidity and organ dysfunction in severely ill patients is largely unknown. In a prospective study we determined d-dimer plasma levels of 800 unselected patients at admission to our intensive care unit. In 91% of the patients' samples d-dimer levels were elevated, in some patients up to several hundredfold as compared to normal values. The highest mean d-dimer values were present in the patient group with thromboembolic diseases, and particularly in non-survivors of pulmonary embolism. In patients with circulatory impairment (r=0.794) and in patients with infections (r=0.487) a statistically significant correlation was present between d-dimer levels and the APACHE II score (P<0.001). The logistic organ dysfunction score (LOD, P<0.001) correlated with d-dimer levels only in patients with circulatory impairment (r=0.474). On the contrary, patients without circulatory impairment demonstrated no correlation of d-dimer levels to the APACHE II or LOD score. Taking all patients together, no correlations of d-dimer levels with single organ failure or with indicators of infection could be detected. In conclusion, d-dimer plasma levels strongly correlated with the severity of the disease and organ dysfunction in patients with circulatory impairment or infections suggesting that elevated d-dimer levels may reflect the extent of microcirculatory failure. Thus, a therapeutic strategy to improve the microcirculation in such patients may be monitored using d-dimer plasma levels.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, Universitat Munchen, Ziemssenstr.1, 80336 Munich, Germany. angstwurm@medinn.med.uni-munchen.de
authors.forename: Matthias W A
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Angstwurm
authors.forename: Armin J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reininger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spannagl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D