D-dimer is a fragment released when a blood clot breaks down. It is mainly used to help rule OUT a clot (DVT or lung clot) when suspicion is low.
| Measure | Range |
|---|---|
| Normal | < 0.5 µg/mL FEU (< 500 ng/mL) |
| Raised | > 0.5 µg/mL FEU |
It suggests clot breakdown is happening somewhere, but many non-clot causes (infection, surgery, pregnancy) also raise it. A high result usually leads to imaging to look for a clot.
When the clinical suspicion is low, a normal D-dimer makes a DVT or pulmonary embolism very unlikely and can avoid further scans.
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