NDT Advance Access originally published online on February 3, 2007
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 2007 22(4):1224-1227; doi:10.1093/ndt/gfl845
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Elevation of plasma D-dimer is closely associated with venous thrombosis produced by double-lumen catheter in pre-dialysis patients
Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Japan
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Prof. Hiromichi Suzuki, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo Moroyama, Iruma, Saitama, 350-0495 Japan. Email: iromichi{at}saitama-med.ac.jp
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Abstract |
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Background. A double-lumen catheter (DLC) is used as a temporary blood access in emergency haemodialysis and continuous haemodialysis. There are various reports concerning thrombosis related to use of DLC and other catheters. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of venous thrombosis when using DLC in patients undergoing blood purification.
Method. Forty-eight Japanese patients, hospitalized in the Saitama Medical University hospital from December 2004 to April 2005, who had DLC insertion as a temporary blood access for blood purification. The existence of a thrombus was determined using ultrasonography, before catheter insertion, and every 2 days after insertion up to 3 weeks. At the time of DLC insertion, general blood tests including plasma D-dimer, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were performed. When DLC was removed, plasma D-dimer and serum CRP were measured.
Results. In 30 of 48 (62.5%) patients with DLC insertion as a temporary blood access for haemodialysis, venous thrombi with diameters >1.1 mm were detected by venous ultrasonography. No predictive factors were recognized except an increase in plasma D-dimer that was significantly higher in the patients with venous thrombus. The changes in plasma D-dimer were 3.54 (SE 0.8) µg/dl in patient with thrombus, and 0.29 (0.30) µg/dl in patient without thrombus (P = 0.004).
Conclusions. The study suggests that changes in plasma D-dimer after the insertion of the catheter may be used to predict thrombus formation and is more accurate than baseline measurements, and easier than other new markers.
Keywords: D-dimer; double-lumen catheter (DLC); haemodialysis; pulmonary embolism; thrombosis
Received for publication: 30.10.06
Accepted in revised form: 27.12.06