title: The association between plasma D-dimer levels and community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasma D-dimer levels are directly related to the intra- and extra-vascular coagulation that occurs in acute and chronic lung damage in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the relationship between the severity of community-acquired pneumonia and D-dimer levels. In addition, the study examines the correlations among community-acquired pneumonia, the radiological extent of the disease and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Pneumonia Severity Index was used to classify patients into five groups. Patients were treated at home or in the hospital according to the guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia. Blood samples were taken from the antecubital vein with an injector and placed into citrated tubes. After they were centrifuged, the samples were evaluated with the quantitative latex method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 60 patients who had been diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (mean age 62.5 +/- 11.7) and 24 healthy controls (mean age 59.63 +/- 6.63). The average plasma D-dimer levels were 337.3 +/- 195.1ng/mL in the outpatient treatment group, 691.0 +/- 180.5 in the inpatient treatment group, 1363.2 +/- 331.5 ng/mLin the intensive care treatment group and 161.3 +/- 38.1ng/mL in the control group (p<0.001). The mean D-dimer plasma level was 776.1 +/- 473.5ng/mL in patients with an accompanying disease and 494.2 +/- 280.1 ng/mL in patients without an accompanying disease (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma D-dimer levels were increased even in community-acquired pneumonia patients who did not have an accompanying disease that would normally cause such an increase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Cumhuriyet University - Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sulhattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Serdal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ugurlu
authors.forename: Gokten
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akkurt
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D