Utility of D-dimer Testing in Special Populations
What is a D-dimer, and how should you use this in the ED?
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d-dimer
EM Cases: Pulmonary Embolism Challenges in Diagnosis Part 1
Deep dive into pulmonary embolism in this part 1 of 2 podcasts by EM Cases.
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PEM Playbook – Big Labs, Little People: Troponin, BNP, D-Dimer, and Lactate
It’s a busy shift. Today no one seems to have a chief complaint.
Someone sends a troponin on a child. Good, bad, or ugly, how are you going to interpret the result?
And while we’re at it – what labs do I need to be careful with in children – sometimes the normal ranges of common labs can have our heads spinning!
Read on for bread-and-butter pediatric blood work and further, to answer the question – what’s up with troponin, lactate, d-dimer, and BNP in kids?
PEM Playbook – Big Labs, Little People: Troponin, BNP, D-Dimer, and Lactate Read More »
D-Dimer in Aortic Dissection Workup
“Higher d-dimer levels correlate with more segments of the aorta involved, with false lumen type dissections, and with higher mortality rates”
D-dimer has great sensitivity for aortic dissection, but its true clinical utility in the workup of this high-risk diagnosis remains undefined. Tim Schaefer, MD reviews diagnosis and management, as well as the recent literature on the role of the d-dimer.
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PERC Rule: Application and Limitations
“Pleuritic chest pain […] is not in a validated clinical decision rule despite having a higher OR for PE than hemoptysis and recent immobilization”
The PERC rule can be a wonderful thing, but requires judicious use. Jason West, MD reviews the literature, discussing applicability and limitations of the PERC rule, so you’ll know when to feel confident foregoing the D-dimer and when to be more cautious.
PERC Rule: Application and Limitations Read More »