Key result
D-dimer safely rules out VTE in low-probability outpatients but loses utility in hospitalized patients.
Why the study?
D-dimer testing is widely used for diagnosing VTE and assessing coagulation, but its reliability and applications vary across clinical settings and patient populations.
Comparison
D-dimer testing in outpatient versus inpatient and ICU settings
Design
Review article
Authors
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Supports selective outpatient VTE testing; leaves open inpatient-specific thresholds and prospective validation.
D-dimer testing is highly sensitive but non-specific, making it useful for ruling out VTE in low-risk outpatients, though it is unreliable for this purpose in hospitalized patients where it may instead predict clinical severity.
Sumney et al. (2007) conducted a review in Venous thromboembolism. D-dimer testing was evaluated. D-dimer testing serves as an effective rule-out tool for venous thromboembolism in outpatients with low clinical probability, but has limited utility in hospitalized patients due to high false-positive rates.
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