Expert Insight: D-dimer Testing: An Essential Element in Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Diagnosis

In this educational webinar, hear Dr. James Aguanno, Ph.D., senior clinical specialist at Siemens Healthineers,  discuss venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically PE and DVT, and their underlying risk factors. Dr. Aguanno will go on to review the key diagnostic tests and radiological procedures that need to be performed at the point of care.

VTE describes the dislodging and migration of blood clots in veins; a condition that is usually associated with venous stasis and increased age but may also result from damage to the cells lining the inner vessel walls, or from disorders that result in hyper-coagulability of the blood.

The formation of such thombi in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis is referred to as DVT. When dislodged thromboses become thromboemboli, and may migrate proximally towards the heart. PE is a serious complication of DVT that is usually the result of an embolus travelling proximally to the lungs, with the potential to obstruct major pulmonary vessels. If not diagnosed and treated rapidly, PE is often fatal.

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In particular, Aguanno will explore the value of D-dimer testing and clinical pre-test probability scores for the rapid diagnosis of VTE. D-dimer is a product of fibrin degradation, that forms through fibrinogen polymerization during blood clotting, and can help exclude the need for imaging.

Key Learning objectives:

• Understand venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the underlying risk factors
• Review the laboratory tests and radiological procedures used to diagnose PE
• Enable you to recognize the value of a fast D-dimer result at the point of care
• Confirm that a negative D-dimer result, in conjunction with a low Wells pre-test probability assessment score, can exclude PE as a diagnosis

The webinar will be available to watch live on Tuesday, May 01, at 16:00 BST, 17:00 CEST, 11:00 EDT, and 08:00 PDT. Alternatively, you can register to watch it on demand.

Don’t worry if you can’t make the live event, register to watch on demand here >>