D DIMER QUANTITATIVE

Test details

D-dimer test is done to measure the amount of “fibrin D-dimer” protein in the blood. Fibrin D-dimer protein fragment is produced when a blood clot gets dissolved in the body. D-dimer test helps to rule out the presence of a serious blood clot within the vascular system.

Test required for

When a blood vessel or tissue is injured and begins to bleed, a blood clot (thrombus) typically forms to prevent the bleeding. It involves the activation of a series of circulating proteins that eventually produce a fibrin net, which helps hold the forming blood clot at the injury site until the injury heals. Once the injury has healed the enzyme called plasmin breaks the clot (thrombus) into small pieces so that it can be removed. The fragments of the disintegrating fibrin in the clot are called fibrin degradation products (FDP), which consist of variously sized pieces of cross-linked fibrin. D-Dimer is one of the measurable byproducts of activation of the fibrinolytic system. The amount of D-dimer found in the blood reflects the amount of active blood clot formation in the body as the fibrin formation and degradation both occur simultaneously with an active blood clot.