Are d-Dimer Results Used to Guide Imaging in Suspected VTE?

d-dimer measurement routinely is used to direct imaging in the work-up of patients with suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE). Most guidelines recommend that patients with low pretest clinical suspicion for VTE undergo d-dimer measurement, and, if the results are negative, no further testing is required, whereas patients with intermediate or high pretest clinical suspicion should proceed directly to imaging without d-dimer measurement. In a retrospective chart review, these authors assessed the correlation between the ordering of imaging studies and d-dimer results in 553 consecutive patients who underwent d-dimer testing at an emergency department in Oakland, California, during a 13-month period. The study institution used a quantitative …