Evaluation of D-Dimer in Screening Deep Vein Thrombosis in Hospitalized Japanese Patients with Acute Medical Diseases/Episodes

Objective: To investigate the usefulness of D-dimer as a screening method as well as to explore potent predictors of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalized Japanese patients with acute medical diseases/episodes. Methods and Subjects: This study was a multi-center, prospective, observational study. The inclusion criteria were hospitalized patients at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism with; (1) congestive heart failure, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, infectious diseases, or inflammatory diseases, (2) bed rest ≥4 days, and (3) ≥60 years old. D-dimer was measured on the same day as ultrasonography. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate predictors associated with the presence of DVT. Results: Sixty-nine patients were enrolled. The prevalence of DVT was 33.3% (23/69; 95% C.I., 19.4% to 47.3%). D-dimer was measured in 42 patients and the sensitivity and negative predictive value reached 100%, while the specificity (13.3%) and positive predictive value (31.6%) were low (cut-off value: 0.9 or 1.0 µg/mL). Statistically significant predictor was not assigned. Conclusion: As the sensitivity and negative predictive value of D-dimer reached 100%, D-dimer have a role in excluding patients who might otherwise undergo diagnostic imaging for DVT in hospitalized Japanese patients with acute medical diseases/episodes.