D-dimer testing: advantages and limitations in emergency medicine for managing acute venous thromboembolism

Patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) are frequently admitted to an Emergency Department (ED) for initial evaluation. However, management of patients with suspicion of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in this clinical setting can be difficult; in fact symptoms and signs of DVT are non-specific and can be found in a broad spectrum of non-thrombotic disorders. An accurate and timely objective diagnosis is necessary for immediate and correct identification of patients with acute VTE, while avoiding the bleeding risk associated with unnecessary anticoagulant therapy in patients where DVT or PE have been ruled out. The diagnostic approach to patients wit…

LIMITED VERSUS EXTENDED ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CLINICALLY SUSPECTED DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS. A RANDOMIZED STUDY