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AIM: To establish whether D-dimer is an independent predictor of 1-month serious outcome and all-cause death in syncope patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of all adults presenting with syncope to an ED in the UK. Plasma D-dimer concentrations were determined in citrated plasma obtained at presentation. The primary endpoint was the combination of serious outcome and all-cause death at 1 month. RESULTS: Of 237 patients enrolled, 205 patients had a suitable plasma sample and had complete follow-up. Seventeen patients had a serious outcome or death at 1 month including three patients with a pulmonary embolus and eight with a serious cardiovascular outcome. Nearly a half of all patients (n=94; 46%) had a plasma D-dimer concentration above the upper limit of normal, 10 of whom had a serious outcome or death at 1 month. Receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis showed no relationship between plasma D-dimer concentration and serious outcome or death at 1 month. An elevated plasma D-dimer concentration was found in all patients with a pulmonary embolus. CONCLUSION: Plasma D-dimer is frequently raised in patients presenting with syncope to the ED and consequently does not predict 1-month serious outcome or death. We conclude that there is no role for the routine measurement of D-dimer in the management of patients presenting to the ED with syncope.

Original publication

DOI

10.1097/mej.0b013e3283210215

Type

Journal article

Journal

Eur j emerg med

Publication Date

10/2009

Volume

16

Pages

256 - 260

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Emergency Service, Hospital, Female, Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Prospective Studies, Pulmonary Embolism, ROC Curve, Syncope, Young Adult