A D-Dimer test is a test that detects D-Dimer in the blood. D-Dimer is a protein fragment (small piece) formed in the body when a blood clot dissolves.
Blood clotting is a critical process that helps a person from losing too much blood when injured or wounded. Once the injury gets healed, the body will normally eliminate the clot. In blood clotting disorder, clots can form even when there is no injury or fail to dissolve when they should. These disorders can be extremely dangerous. A D-Dimer test can determine whether you have one of these conditions.
Other names: Other names for this fragment are the D-Dimer fragment and the fibrin degradation fragment.
What is the use of the D-Dimer Test?
A D-Dimer test is performed to determine whether or not you have a blood clotting issue. These are some of the disorders:
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) : Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): In this disorder blood clot develops deep within a vein. These clots often affect the lower legs, although they can also occur in other regions of the body.
- A pulmonary embolism (PE) : It is a blockage in a pulmonary artery. It often occurs when a blood clot in another region of the body ruptures and travels to the lungs. PE is frequently caused by DVT clots.
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) : It is a disorder that causes an abnormally large number of blood clots to develop. They have the potential to spread throughout the body, causing organ damage and other catastrophic consequences. Traumatic accidents, certain infections, or malignancies can all cause DIC.
- Stroke : Stroke: A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain gets blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain breaks.
What is the need of a D-Dimer test?
If you have signs of a blood clotting condition, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism, you may require this test.
Symptoms of DVT include:
Symptoms of PE include:
This test is frequently performed in an emergency department or other diagnostic labs.
What happens during a D-Dimer test?
During a D-Dimer test, a tiny needle will be used by a healthcare expert to draw blood from a vein in your arm. Following the insertion of the needle, a little quantity of blood will be collected in a test tube or vial. When the needle goes in or out, you may feel a slight sting or discomfort. This process will normally take five to ten minutes.
How to prepare for the test?
A D-Dimer test does not require any extra preparation.
Are there any risks associated with a D-Dimer test?
No, having a D-Dimer test poses no relative risk or danger. One may experience little discomfort or bruising where the needle was inserted, but most symptoms will go away soon, and the person taking this test will feel normal.
What do the results imply?
If your blood D-Dimer levels are low or normal, you most likely do not have a clotting disease.
If your D-Dimer levels are greater than usual, you might have a clotting condition. However, it cannot tell you where the clot is or what sort of clotting condition you have. Furthermore, high D-Dimer levels are not usually caused by clotting issues. Pregnancy, heart disease, and recent surgery are among the circumstances that might result in elevated D-Dimer levels. If your D-Dimer results are abnormal, your doctor will most likely prescribe more testing to reach a diagnosis.
If you have any concerns about your results, speak with your doctor.
Important information to know about D-Dimer testing?
If the results of your D-Dimer test are abnormal, your physician might prescribe one or more imaging tests to determine if you have a clotting condition. These are some examples:
- Doppler ultrasonography : It is a test that creates pictures of your veins using sound waves.
- Angiogram using computed tomography : Angiogram using computed tomography: In this test, you are given a special dye that allows your blood vessels to be seen on a specific sort of x-ray equipment.
- Scan for ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) : These are two tests that can be performed alone or together. They both employ small quantities of radioactive chemicals to assist scanning equipment in determining how well air and blood flow through your lungs.
