D-Dimer Testing Can Identify Patients at Higher Risk of Pulmonary Embolism

Researchers at Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (Paris, France), along with collaborators, conducted the study to address the uncertainty around ruling out PE in high-risk patients based on D-dimer levels. The study involved a post hoc analysis of three European studies (PROPER, MODIGLIANI, and TRYSPEED). Patients included in the analysis had a high clinical probability of PE, as determined by either the Wells or the revised Geneva score, and had undergone D-dimer testing.

The results, published in the peer-reviewed journal Academic Emergency Medicine, demonstrated that ruling out PE based on a D-dimer level below the age-adjusted threshold was safe, with no instances of missed pulmonary embolism. However, the sample size of the study was not large enough to definitively conclude the safety of this diagnostic approach. The findings could have significant implications for the clinical management of high-risk PE patients, but further research is required to confirm these results in larger populations.

Related Links:
Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital