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HelpOrder Code DDITT D-Dimer, Plasma
Useful For
Excluding the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, particularly when results of a sensitive D-dimer assay are combined with clinical information, including pretest disease probability(1-4)
Diagnosis of intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis, also known as disseminated intravascular coagulation, especially when combined with clinical information and other laboratory test data (eg, platelet count, assays of clottable fibrinogen and soluble fibrin monomer complex, and clotting time assays-prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time)(5)
Method Name
Turbidimetric Immunoassay
Reporting Name
D-Dimer, PSpecimen Type
Plasma Na CitSpecimen Required
Specimen Type: Platelet-poor plasma
Collection Container/Tube: Light-blue top (3.2% sodium citrate)
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 1 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Centrifuge, remove plasma, and centrifuge plasma again.
2. Aliquot plasma into plastic vial leaving 0.25 mL in the bottom of centrifuged vial.
Additional Information: Double-centrifuged specimen is critical for accurate results as platelet contamination may cause spurious results.
Specimen Minimum Volume
0.5 mL
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma Na Cit | Frozen (preferred) | 90 days | |
| Ambient | 4 hours |
Reject Due To
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | OK |
| Gross icterus | OK |
Reference Values
≤500 ng/mL Fibrinogen Equivalent Units (FEU)
D-dimer values ≤500 ng/mL FEU may be used in conjunction with clinical pretest probability to exclude deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Method Description
The principle of immunological measurement is used on the ACL TOP to directly measure and record the amount of an analyte. This technique assesses the physical concentration of the analyte (and not its activity) by measuring change in optical density. Although similar to the turbidimetric method, the immunological method relies on the formation of antigen-antibody complexes to affect light transmission.
Immunological testing of the D-dimer on ACL TOP is at 671-nm wavelength and uses the principle of measuring absorbance in the cuvette. An optical sensor reads the light that passes through the cuvette. The light is absorbed by the fluid in the cuvette in direct proportion to the concentration of antigen-antibody complexes. The amount of light reaching the photodetector is converted into an electrical signal that is proportional or inversely proportional to the analyte concentration.
When a plasma containing D-dimer is mixed with the latex reagent and the reaction buffer included in the HemosIL D-Dimer HS 500 kit, the coated latex particles agglutinate. The degree of agglutination is directly proportional to the concentration of D-dimer in the sample and is determined by measuring the decrease of transmitted light caused by the aggregates (turbidimetric immunoassay). (Package insert: HemosIL D-Dimer HS 500. Instrumentation Laboratory Company; 04/2018)
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Sunday
Performing Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
CPT Code Information
85379