Title
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Strategies for the safe and effective exclusion and diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis by the sequential use of clinical score, D-dimer testing, and compression ultrasonography
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Author
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Abstract
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Patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are subjected to leg vein compression ultrasonography (CUS) that confirms DVT in only 20 to 30% of patients. A positive CUS is consistent with DVT irrespective of clinical score. The sequential use of a simple clinical score assessment, a rapid sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) D-dimer test and CUS to safely exclude DVT is promising. The clinical score is a validated clinical model of complaints, signs, and symptoms, on the basis of which a pretest clinical probability for DVT can be estimated as low, moderate, and high. The safe exclusion of DVT by a rapid sensitive D-dimer test in combination with clinical score or CUS necessitates a negative predictive value of more than 99%, The negative predictive value for DVT is determined by the sensitivity of the rapid ELISA D-dimer test and the prevalence of DVT in subgroups of outpatients,vith suspected DVT The prevalence of DVT in outpatients with a low, moderate, and high clinical score varies widely from 3 to 10%, 15 to 30% and more than 70%, respectively. A negative rapid ELISA D-dimer and a low clinical score (prevalence DVT 3 to 5%) will have a very high negative predictive value of more than 99.5% to exclude DVT without the need of CUS testing. A negative ELISA D-dimer test and a first-negative CUS safely exclude DVT in patients with a moderate clinical score with a negative predictive value of more than 99.5%, therefore obviating the need to repeat CUS, The use of a rapid ELISA D-dimer testing in patients with a high clinical score is not recommended. A negative CUS, a low clinical score, and a positive ELISA D-dimer, even less than 1000 ng/mL exclude DVT with a negative predictive value of more than 99%, Patients with a negative CUS, but a positive ELISA D-dimer, and a moderate or high clinical score have a probability of; DVT of 3 to 5% and 20 to 30%, respectively, and are thus candidates for repeated CUS testing. The proposed sequential use of the clinical score assessment, a rapid ELISA D-dimer test, and CUS will be the most cost-effective diagnostic strategy for DVT because of a significant reduction of CUS examinations and gain of time for the:patient and physician in charge. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis. - New York
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Publication
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New York
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2000
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ISSN
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0094-6176
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DOI
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10.1055/S-2000-13222
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Volume/pages
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26
:6
(2000)
, p. 657-667
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ISI
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000165993300007
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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