Why D-DIMER test is done ?
A D-dimer test is a simple blood test that can help your healthcare provider determine if you may have a blood clotting condition. If you have a high level of D-dimer in your blood, your provider may have you undergo further blood tests and/or imaging procedures to determine a diagnosis.
What is a D-Dimer test?
A D-dimer test is a blood tesHaving a high D-dimer level in your blood can be a sign of a blood clotting disorder since the level of D-dimer can rise greatly when there’s significant formation and breakdown of blood clots in your body.
That measures D-dimer, which is a protein fragment that your body makes when a blood clot dissolves in your body. D-dimer is normally undetectable or only detectable at a very low level unless your body is forming and breaking down significant blood clots.
A positive or elevated D-dimer test result may indicate that you have a blood clotting condition, but it doesn’t guarantee that you have one. A D-dimer test can't reveal what type of clotting condition you have or where the clot is located in your body.
How does blood clotting work?
Blood clotting, when functioning for its intended or normal purpose, is an essential process that prevents you from losing too much blood when you get injured.
When a blood vessel or tissue in your body is injured and bleeds, your body kicks off a process called hemostasis to create a blood clot to limit blood loss and eventually stop the bleeding.
During the process of hemostasis, your body makes threads of a protein called fibrin, which weaves together to form a fibrin net.
The net, in addition to a type of cell called a platelet, helps anchor the forming blood clot in place until the injury heals. These blood clots may appear as scabs on your skin or bruises under your skin.
Once your injury has healed and your body no longer needs the blood clot, your body makes an enzyme called plasmin to break down the clot into small fragments to remove it. The fragments are known as fibrin degradation products or fibrin split products. D-dimer is one of those fibrin degradation products.
If you have a blood clotting condition, blood clots can form when you don’t have an injury, and/or they don’t break down when they should. In other words, your body’s blood clotting process isn’t working as it should. Blood clotting conditions can be serious and life-threatening.
Having a high D-dimer level in your blood can be a sign of a blood clotting disorder since the level of D-dimer can rise greatly when there’s significant formation and breakdown of blood clots in your body.

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