title: Concentration of D-dimers in healthy cats and sick cats with and without disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
abstract: The objective of this prospective study was to measure concentrations of D-dimers in 48 cats with various diseases and in 20 healthy cats to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity for D-dimers to diagnose disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The cats were classified as having DIC if an underlying disease and at least three of the following criteria were present: thrombocytopenia, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time or thrombin time, schistocytes and/or a reduced antithrombin activity. D-dimer concentrations were measured using a semi-quantitative latex agglutination (LA) test (Accuclot D-Dimer, Sigma Diagnostics). The D-dimer test was positive for 8/12 cats with DIC and for 16/36 sick cats without DIC. D-dimers were negative for all healthy control cats. The comparison of the sick cats with DIC and those without DIC revealed a specificity and sensitivity of the D-dimer test of 56% and 67%; a comparison of the results for healthy cats and cats with DIC revealed a specificity and sensitivity of 100% and 67%, respectively. The D-dimer LA test is only of limited value for the diagnosis of DIC in cats.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tholen
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weingart
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kohn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002415:Cats; D015897:Comorbidity; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D