Raised D-dimer levels in acute sickle cell crisis and their correlation with chest X-ray abnormalities.
OBJECTIVE
Quantitation of D-dimer level during a sickling crisis and its correlation with other clinical abnormalities.


METHODS
Prospective longitudinal study.


METHODS
Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
Adult patients (12 years and older) admitted acutely with a sickle cell crisis who consent to taking part in the study. Candidates may re-participate if they are readmitted with a further acute painful crisis.


RESULTS
36 patients with homozygous sickle cell disease consented to take part in the study. D-dimer levels were raised in 31 (68.9%) of 45 episodes of painful crisis of whom 13 had an abnormal chest X-ray. Of those with a normal chest X-ray only one patient had a raised D-dimer level: sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity 40.6%, positive predictive value 38.7% and negative predictive value of 92.9% for an abnormal chest X-ray.


CONCLUSIONS
D-dimer levels are frequently raised during an acute painful crisis. A normal level has a high negative predictive value for an abnormal chest X-ray.
Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Khamis Mushayt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Javeed
J
Dar
Inam
I
Mughal
Hilali
H
Hassan
Taj E
TE
Al Mekki
Zivani
Z
Chapunduka
Imad S A
IS
Hassan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D