Plasma D-Dimer as a Marker for Postoperative Deep Venous Thrombosis

Irene D Dunn; Anthony C W Hui; Paul D Triffitt; Ann E C Crozier; Paul J Gregg; Marie E Sinclair; A Lynn Armstrong; Vivian E Mitchell

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1648938

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 1994; 72(05): 663-665
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1648938

Original Article

Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Plasma D-Dimer as a Marker for Postoperative Deep Venous Thrombosis

A Study after Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty

Irene D Dunn

¹The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Anthony C W Hui

¹The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Paul D Triffitt

¹The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Ann E C Crozier

²The Department of Radiology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Paul J Gregg

¹The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Marie E Sinclair

³The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

A Lynn Armstrong

³The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

,

Vivian E Mitchell

³The Department of Haematology, Glenfield General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

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Summary

Plasma levels of D-dimer have been found useful as a marker of deep venous thrombosis in those patients in whom thrombosis is suspected, but their usefulness in postoperative screening is less clear. We have investigated the relationship of D-dimer to deep venous thrombosis in 90 patients after total hip and knee arthroplasty. From the first postoperative day the D-dimer levels were found to be highly significantly raised in patients with deep venous thrombosis. A combined result over the first six postoperative days in excess of 1200ng/ml correlated with thrombosis with a specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 45%, positive predictive value of 60%, and negative predictive value of 100%. However, individual estimations were not discriminatory.

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References

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