Safety of using the combination of the Wells rule and D-dimer test for excluding acute recurrent ipsilateral deep vein thrombosis.

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Safety of using the combination of the Wells rule and D-dimer test for excluding acute recurrent ipsilateral deep vein thrombosis.

J Thromb Haemost. 2020 Jul 02;:

Authors: van Dam LF, Gautam G, Dronkers CEA, Ghanima W, Gleditsch J, von Heijne A, Hofstee HMA, Hovens MMC, Huisman MV, Kolman S, Mairuhu ATA, Nijkeuter M, van MA, de Ree, van Rooden CJ, Westerbeek RE, Westerink J, Westerlund E, Kroft LJM, Klok FA

Abstract
BACKGROUND: The diagnostic accuracy of clinical probability assessment and D-dimer testing for clinically suspected recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is largely unknown.
AIM: To evaluate the safety of ruling out acute recurrent DVT based on an unlikely Wells score for DVT and a normal D-dimer test.
METHODS: This was a predefined endpoint of the Theia study in which the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance direct thrombus imaging in acute recurrent ipsilateral DVT was validated. The Wells rule and D-dimer test, performed as part of the study protocol, were not used for management decisions. The primary outcome of this analysis was the incidence of recurrent DVT at baseline or during 3-month follow-up for patients with an unlikely Wells score and a normal D-dimer test.
RESULTS: Results of both Wells score and D-dimer tests were available in 231 patients without anticoagulant treatment. The recurrent DVT prevalence was 45% (103/231). Forty-nine patients had an unlikely Wells score and normal D-dimer test, of whom 3 (6.1%, 95%CI 1.3-18%) had recurrent DVT at baseline/follow-up, yielding a sensitivity of 97% (95%CI 92-99%) and specificity of 36% (95%CI 28-45%). Thus, if clinical probability scoring and D-dimer testing would have been applied, radiological imaging could have been omitted in 21% of patients with a diagnostic failure rate of 6.1%.
CONCLUSION: By applying clinical probability scoring and D-dimer testing, radiological imaging could be spared in a fifth of patients with suspected recurrent ipsilateral DVT. However, the high failure rate does not support implementation of this strategy in daily practice.

PMID: 32613731 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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