D Dimer Test

What is D dimer test? 

D dimer blood test didn’t seem known to many when Covid-19 wasn’t there! It is after the onset and spread of the coronavirus all across the globe when the significance of dimer test became popular. A D-dimer test is performed to look out for a blood clotting disorder. Blood clotting disorders are inclusive of Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition of blood coagulation that's deep inside a vein. These clots usually leave a significant impact on the lower legs, but they can also affect other parts of the body.

How is Coronavirus disease and dimer blood test connected?

Covid-19 or coronavirus is a primarily respiratory disorder that can lead to thrombotic problems. Increase of D-dimer is a prospective biomarker for poor prognosis in people diagnosed with coronavirus disease, though ideal cut-off value for D-dimer to foresee mortality is yet to be ascertained. D-Dimer is a result of fibrin dilapidation (fibrinolysis) that is responsible for circulating in blood plasma at low blood concentration. Since stimulated blood coagulation and subsequent fibrinolysis is related to elevated plasma D-dimer concentration, D-dimer has proved to be an effective clinical biomarker of thrombotic disease. D-dimer comprises two contiguous fibrin ‘D’ domains (ends) that are cross-linked and distributed as an integral fragment, hence it is named as the D-dimer.

Because D-dimer is a result of cross-linked fibrin, it is deemed a sensitive biomarker to detect venous thromboembolism. However, D-dimer has reduced specificity as there are certain other conditions with ongoing stimulation of the hemostatic system in which D-dimer can be increased such as cardiac problems, pregnancy, inflammation, trauma, liver disease (decreased clearance), malignancy, sepsis or as an outcome of hemodialysis, CPR or recent surgical procedure.

What is a D Dimer test?

D-dimer is a blood test, the sample of which is taken on the same tube as a coagulation profile test or INR Test. It needs the tube to be filled to the accurate levels. A few millilitres of blood sample is drawn from a vein.

What is the need of a dimer blood test ?

D dimer test is usually recommended and advised when there’s a possibility of a deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The dimer is used as a risk-differentiating test, because it may make additional testing necessary or unnecessary in patients. For example, a patient with reduced risk of DVT (a blood clot in leg) or PE (a blood clot in lung), with a negative (normal) D-Dimer test, may not require further testing like a Doppler Ultrasound of the legs or a CT Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA).

The test is less effective at preventing clotting medical conditions in the body when the clinical risk is at moderate or high levels. The clinical possibility, called the pre-test possibility, is based on a compound impression from the medical experts, often integrating certain items, which may have a points system assigned as a guide. To be more particular, patients with blood clot-related problems should mandatorily get their D-dimer test done. The requirements of this test are,

• It is helpful in assessing the severity of a medical condition
• It is also helpful in easily assessing the risks of pulmonary diseases

There are certain other necessities of a D-dimer test. One of the most mentionable requirements of this test is its wide usage in the days of the ongoing pandemics. Your doctor may recommend a D-dimer test to people experiencing symptoms of a blood clotting condition, which include:

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Pulmonary embolism (PE)
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
• Stroke

Medical experts usually conduct D-dimer tests in an emergency room or other hospital setting. Some other conditions or symptoms for which the D dimer test is performed are namely:

• Sever backache
• Unexplained and continuous sweating
• Tachycardia
• Dizziness or fainting
• Coughing
• Sharp chest pain

Requirements and process of D dimer test

There is as such no special requirement for patients to follow before undergoing a D dimer blood test . An experienced and skilled phlebotomist will draw a blood sample from a vein in the arm, with the help of a small needle. After inserting the small needle, a small amount of blood is collected into a vial. With taking the blood sample, you will feel a little pinch or sting at the site of prick or when the needle goes in or out of the skin.

D dimer test results and interpretation

D-dimer is one of the outputs of blood clot breakdown that can be evaluated and examined in the bloodstream. Normally, the protein is available in small amounts because there is a persistent turnover of tiny clots producing and being broken down by the body’s natural phenomenon.

D-dimer negative test results (normal):

Below a set cut-off estimate, ascertained by the laboratory and the brand of diagnostic testing services, a small amount of D-dimer in the blood is very uplifting, in low-risk patients. It indicates that there is not much coagulation turnover in the body.

D-dimer positive test results (abnormal):

This may be a result of unexplained inflammation, long-term bed rest, post-surgery complications, and is more probable with aging. A significant number of people with a positive d-dimer test result may not be diagnosed with DVT or PE; it simply means that these conditions cannot be eliminated to a high degree of inevitability.

The true value of a D-dimer test is in low-risk patients when the results are normal or negative. Unfortunately, if the D dimer test results are positive, further testing is recommended to exclude a DVT or PE. In cases where D-dimer test results are abnormal, the doctor recommends the person to undergo one or more imaging tests to look for the presence of a blood clotting condition and where the blood clot(s) are. Imaging tests include after abnormal D-dimer test results are:

• Doppler ultrasound: It is an imaging test in which sound waves are used to create images of the veins.
• Computed tomography (CT) angiography: CT angiography is another effective imaging test that is done once abnormal test results of D-dimer are found. A special dye is injected into the veins which help show up blood vessels on a special type of advanced X-ray machine.
• Lung ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan: A lung VQ scan is an imaging test in which a ventilation scan is used to evaluate airflow in the lungs and perfusion (Q) scan to check where blood flows in the lungs. V/Q scanning tests make use of certain small and safe amounts of radioactive substances to assist a scanning equipment check how well air and blood move through the lungs.

How can I find a D dimer test near me ?

Get access to easy booking and convenient home sample collection through Redcliffe Labs. Book D dimer lab test online and get quick and easy access to reports within 24-48 hours. Know more about your bodily functioning with Redcliffe Labs’.

D dimer test price

Want to know the cost of the dimer test? D dimer test price at Redcliffe Labs’ is affordable and pocket-friendly as compared to other diagnostic units. D dimer test cost ranges between ₹ 1118.

What are the risks associated with the D dimer test?

Blood tests are a very common and integral part of diagnostic testing. There’s very little or no risk of getting blood tests as D dimer done. A person may experience slight tenderness or a bruise at the site of the prick, but this usually goes on its own.