No preparation is needed for this test. A blood sample is usually taken from a vein in your arm.
Understanding your results
A positive test means the D-dimer level in your body is higher than normal. It suggests you might have a blood clot or blood clotting problems.
A normal D-dimer level usually shows that a clotting problem is unlikely.
The D-dimer test is usually used with other blood tests and imaging scans. That’s because the D-dimer test cannot tell where in the body blood clots are or what may have caused them.
Sometimes the D-dimer test can be positive in people without clotting problems. This can happen in:
older people
during pregnancy
if you are a smoker
if you have recently had surgery
D-dimer tests can also be positive in people with other conditions, such as severe infections.
Anticoagulant medicines (used to prevent and treat blood clots) can also affect your D-dimer test results.
It’s important to discuss your results with your doctor, who can explain what the results mean in your situation.
Resources and support
Visit the Pathology Tests Explained website for more information about D-dimer testing.
You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Read this guide to blood testing to learn more about blood tests, including:
what happens during a blood test
the accuracy of your results
the cost of your blood tests
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It measures the amount of D-dimer, a protein your body makes to break down blood clots. A positive test means the D-dimer level in your body is higher than normal. It suggests you might have a blood clot or blood clotting problems.
High D-dimer levels are not always caused by clotting disorders. A few other possible reasons why you may have high D-dimer levels include pregnancy, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and recent surgery. Being older or immobilized (unable to move) may also cause a high D-dimer level.
What is a typical D-dimer range? According to a 2022 article, a typical D-dimer level is less than 0.50 mg/L of fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU). A positive D-dimer is 0.50 mg/L or higher, indicating that a person may have blood clots. A positive D-dimer test may suggest a clotting disorder.
Evaluation of changes in D-dimer levels during COVID-19 infection and bacterial pneumonia, and comparative studies between COVID-19 and bacterial pneumonia have shown that both diseases can increase D-dimer levels, but this increase is much higher in COVID-19 infection.
In humans, stressful situations can trigger the clotting system, leading to increases of D-dimer in blood (von Känel et al., 2009; Austin et al., 2013).
What does a high D-dimer test result mean? If your results reveal that you have higher-than-normal levels of D-dimer in your blood, it may mean that you have a blood clotting condition. A D-dimer test can't determine the type of blood clotting condition you may have or where the blood clot(s) is in your body.
A D-dimer test is a blood test that checks for blood-clotting problems. It measures the amount of D-dimer, a protein your body makes to break down blood clots. A positive test means the D-dimer level in your body is higher than normal. It suggests you might have a blood clot or blood clotting problems.
This suggests that elevated D-dimer levels in patients with VTE and malignancy are not solely due to presence of thrombus. High D-dimer levels in malignancy are likely to reflect the biology of the underlying tumour, with higher levels observed in breast, prostate and bowel cancers.
A positive d-dimer test requires further work-up, including imaging tests to diagnose the underlying cause. Treatment of a high d-dimer depends on the cause and can include anticoagulants, thrombolytics, and thrombectomy.
[8][9] Of note, there are several physiologic states or medical conditions that may cause patients to have an elevated D-dimer in the absence of PE, DVT, or DIC. These include but are not limited to pregnancy, malignancy, cigarette smoking, trauma, infection, or sepsis.
Conclusion: Although D-dimer testing has a reputation for being very non-specific, an extremely elevated D-dimer is uniquely associated with severe disease, mainly including VTE, sepsis and/or cancer.
Increases in plasma D-dimer levels have been reported in various autoimmune vasculitis conditions, including antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis39, cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa29, Takayasu's arteritis40, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis41 and IgA vasculitis42.
High D- dimer levels occur in many diseases in which the coagulation system is activated, such as acute venous thromboembolism, ischemic heart disease, and cancer.
It's possible to have a high D-dimer level and not have a blood clot. An elevated result can also be due to: Older age (more than 80 years old)Pregnancy.
Elevated levels of d-dimer are associated with inflammation and disease activity rather than risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis in long term observation.
A recent study revealed that d-dimer levels were higher in patients with hypertension than in controls; these levels increased significantly with hypertension severity [24]. However, few studies have assessed the association between d-dimer level and mortality in patients with acute severe hypertension.
Conclusion: Although D-dimer testing has a reputation for being very non-specific, an extremely elevated D-dimer is uniquely associated with severe disease, mainly including VTE, sepsis and/or cancer.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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