D-Dimer Testing in Prolonged VTE Symptoms – Should We Really Be More Cautious? – RPTH Journal
RPTH Journal shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Mazdak Tavoly et al., published in RPTH Journal, adding:
“D-dimer testing in prolonged VTE symptoms: should we really be more cautious?
It is often suggested that D-dimer testing should be avoided in patients with prolonged symptoms, as results may be falsely negative. But how strong is the evidence behind this recommendation?
A new study in RPTH Journal challenges this assumption, drawing on data from over 3,400 patients with pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis from the TROLL registry in Norway.
Key findings:
- Median symptom duration was 4 days; 27.6% of patients reported symptoms exceeding 1 week
- D-dimer showed a statistically significant but very weak negative correlation with symptom duration
- Only 20 patients (0.6%) had false-negative D-dimer results
- False-negative D-dimer results were not significantly associated with prolonged symptom duration
The clinical implication is reassuring: extended symptom duration alone may not meaningfully affect D-dimer performance. The current caution around D-dimer testing in prolonged symptoms may not be well-supported by real-world data and should be revisited.”
Title: The impact of symptom duration on D-dimer: results from the Venous Thrombosis Registry in Østfold Hospital
Authors: Mazdak Tavoly, Camilla Tøvik Jørgensen, Katarina Glise Sandblad, Waleed Ghanima, Lamya Garabet

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