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Thromb Haemost 2000; 83(02): 191-198
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613784
Rapid Communication
Schattauer GmbH

Exclusion of Deep Venous Thrombosis with D-Dimer Testing

Comparison of 13 D-Dimer Methods in 99 Outpatients Suspected of Deep Venous Thrombosis Using Venography as Reference Standard
Fedde van der Graaf
1   From the Clinical Laboratories, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
,
Henk van den Borne
2   From the Department of Radiodiagnostics, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
,
Marion van der Kolk
3   Surgery, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
,
Piet J. de Wild
1   From the Clinical Laboratories, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
,
Ger W. T. Janssen
1   From the Clinical Laboratories, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
,
Stan H. M. van Uum
4   Internal Medicine of the Sint Joseph Hospital, Veldhoven, The Netherlands
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 27 May 1999

Accepted after revision 01 September 1999

Publication Date:
11 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

In a direct assay comparison we evaluated the diagnostic performance of 10 novel D-Dimer assays for the exclusion of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). In addition, 3 conventional ELISA D-Dimer assays were included as reference tests. The study was performed in 99 consecutive outpatients referred to the emergency department for clinical suspicion of DVT. Venography was used as reference standard and demonstrated the presence of DVT in 50 patients (6 patients with isolated distal DVT and 44 patients with proximal DVT). The qualitative D-Dimer assays Minutex and SimpliRED and the quantitative BC DD showed overall sensitivities (for proximal and distal DVT) of only 80-83% with specificities that ranged from 87 to 94%. Overall sensitivity was 94% for the qualitative INSTANT I.A. and 98% for the quantitative Turbiquant at a cut-off level equal to the detection limit. Using different cut-off levels a sensitivity of 100% for proximal DVT and for proximal as well as distal DVT could be obtained for NycoCard, IL DD, Liatest, Tinaquant and VIDAS D-Dimer assays with specificities that ranged from 31% (NycoCard) to 71% (VIDAS) for proximal DVT and from 12% (NycoCard) to 47% (IL DD) for overall DVT. At a cut-off level equal to the upper limit of the reference range only Tinaquant and VIDAS showed a sensitivity of 100% for proximal as well as for distal DVT with a specificity of 39% and 41% respectively.

The results of this study suggest that the VIDAS and Tinaquant D-Dimer assays have the highest sensitivity for the exclusion of DVT in outpatients. In outpatients that have a low or moderate pretest probability for DVT, these tests may be used in management studies where anticoagulation is withheld on the basis of D-Dimer testing alone.

Keywords

Deep venous thrombosis - D-Dimer
 

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