Fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products in suspected deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities
Sørensen, M.D.; Ott, P.; Gad, I.; Gyhrs, S.; Iversen, D.; Treufeldt, P.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 150(1): 20-22
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 3376204 Document Number: 319507
A simple and non-invasive form of investigation is required which can with good certainty exclude deep venous thrombosis in patients asmitted with suspected deep venous thrombosis. In a consecutive series of 100 cases of this type, the diagnostic value of a new analysis for determination of fibrin(ogen) breakdown products (FDP-BM) is produced. FDP-BM is a latex agglutination test which demonstrates fragments D and E of the breakdown products with equal sensitivity and which becomes positive at total concentrations of fibrin(ogen) breakdown products of .gtoreq. 10 mg/l. The investigation was not completed in 16 patients. The remaining 84 patients were investigated with FDP-BM and phlebography. FDP-BM had a predictive value of a negative test result of 47/79 = 0.59 (95% confidence limits: 0.48-0.70). The predictive value of a positive test result was 5/5 = 1.0 (0.48-1.0), but it is known from other investigations that false positive findings occur in a series of inflammatory conditions. On this basis, FDP-BM cannot be recommended for screening prior to phlebography in patients suspected of having deep venous thrombosis, but a similar test with a lower differentiation threshold would be of interest.