title: The influence of various patient characteristics on D-dimer concentration in critically ill patients and its role as a prognostic indicator in the intensive care unit setting.
abstract: This study examines the relationship between D-dimer concentration and patient age, gender, race, and renal function, and the role of D-dimer concentration as a predictor of in-hospital mortality, in a critically ill patient population. The results demonstrate there is a correlation between increased D-dimer concentration and renal impairment in critically ill patients, with patients in renal failure having the highest D-dimer concentrations. Peak D-dimer levels were higher among female patients than in male patients, but there was no association between peak D-dimer levels and other patient characteristics. D-dimer concentration was also not predictive of in-hospital mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Suite RFE 3-805, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada.
authors.forename: Jenna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Spring
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Duke University Hospital, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Electronic address: jerrold.levy@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Jerrold H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015854:Up-Regulation; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D
keywords: Bleeding; D-dimer; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; In-hospital mortality; Intensive care unit; Safety