Commentary reveals D-dimer identifies DVT in immobilized stroke patients, suggesting improved screening methods.
To the Editor: The commentary by Bath on the use of D-dirner levels as a screening test for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) among immobile stroke rehabilitation patients (1) states that compression ultrasonography is insensitive for the detection of DVT in asymptomatic patients. However, the study that he cited included a very different population of patients than those with a neurologic deficit. This is important, given that many stroke patients have prolonged immobilization and may lack the visual or sensory cues that alert a physician to the development of early symptoms of DVT.
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A 1997 study studied this question.
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