Clinical value of blood D-dimers in lower extremity deep venous thrombosis in patients with severe combined abdominal trauma

Aim. To establish sensitivity and specificity of deep vein thrombosis detection in patients with severe combined abdominal trauma by studying cross-linked fibrin degradation products (D-dimer) using erythrocyte agglutination SimpliRED (R) technology. Materials and methods. We analyzed the treatment results of 105 patients with severe combined abdominal trauma who underwent surgery in Lviv Thoraco-Abdominal Trauma Center (Surgical Department No. 1), Traumatology and Neurosurgery Departments of the Lviv City Emergency Hospital in 2012-2017. Results. The sensitivity and specificity of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis detection in patients with severe combined abdominal trauma was established by studying D-dimers as well as their dynamics. Mandatory inclusion criteria for the study were: negative result of the D-dimer test upon admission, absence of instrumental and clinical signs of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. The examination was performed prior to the operation or mini-invasive methods of diagnostics (laparoscopy) and on day 3 and 7 after. The high value of the method is explained by its maximum adaptation to the conditions of urgent surgery; it does not require specific inhibitors, does not depend on blood sampling technology or platelet count and can be performed in a few minutes. A positive result, which indicated the active fibrinolysis, was evaluated within 2 min by erythrocyte agglutination in a test cell and the latter absence in a control one. The D-dimer test was positive in 78 (74.3 %) patients in the study group. The peak of positive test results was observed on the 5th day after surgery. In all the injured with lower extremity deep venous thrombosis, a strong positive test result was revealed, which was manifested by erythrocyte agglutination at the 5-20 sec and the presence of D-dimers for a long time (an average of 19.3 +/- 7.1 days). In the low-risk group of deep vein thrombosis and embolism by J. Caprini, the positive test was detected in 6 (5.7 %) patients, in the moderate and high-risk groups - in 28 (26.7 %) and 44 (41.9 %), respectively. Conclusions. The method of D-dimers detection in blood by SimpliRED (R) technology showed a rather high sensitivity in patients with severe combined abdominal trauma of 82.3 %, but low specificity of 32.3 %. In the absence of prophylaxis, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in patients with severe combined abdominal trauma was 25.7 %. The method of ultrasonic compression angioscanning of the lower extremity veins verified the proximal vein thrombosis predominance - 74.1 %. The risk of thrombus fragmentation and potential pulmonary thromboembolism was detected in 13.7 % of patients.