IssueOct 21Opinion

Understanding the correlation between D-dimer and COVID-19

Jatin Mahajan, MD, J Mitra & Co

The D-dimer test helps to gauge and monitor the patient’s progression to COVID-19 related cytokine storm and triggers timely medical intervention to reduce fatality. An insight by Jatin Mahajan, MD, J Mitra & CoD-Dimer, a test hitherto not known to many outside the medical fraternity, has suddenly gained prominence and become a household name during the corona pandemic. After the difficult breathing and respiratory complications associated with COVID-19, doctors have discovered another severe risk posed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Blood clotting is a newer and rarer symptom of corona infection that can lead to life-threatening strokes, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolism. Blood clotting is an essential and natural process that prevents us from losing too much blood in an injury.Typically,our body’s natural defences dissolve the clot once the wound has healed.

However, with a blood clotting disorder, clots can form when you don’t have an apparent injury or don’t dissolve when they should. This condition of blood clotting can be severe and even life threatening. In addition, it is potentially dangerous because the clot can restrict the flow of blood within the blood vessels, leading to complications like stroke or heart attack.

As per research by the National Institute of Health, the US medical research agency, 31 per cent of critical ICU patients experienced complications related to blood clots.

As per a Lancet study, the platelets of people hospitalised with COVID-19 were found to be hyperactive, having increased activation and aggregation (clumping). COVID-19 appears to cause increased activation of cells that are responsible for initiating the clotting process.

The D-dimer test in such cases helps gauge and monitor the patient’s progression to COVID-19 related cytokine storm and triggers timely medical intervention to reduce fatality.

D-dimer tests are conducted to monitor for blood clotting issues, which may lead to health problems, such as:
• Stroke
• Pulmonary embolism (PE)
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

The D-dimer test looks for D-dimer in blood. D-dimer is a protein fragment (small piece) formed when a blood clot dissolves in your body. D-Dimer is one of the many fibrin degradation products. When a body part is damaged or bleeding, our internal defence system stops the bleeding by joining the cells together to make a network. This network is formed from a protein – fibrin and causes a blood clot. That blood clot is due to the crisscrossing of fibrin. When the healing is complete, the body starts to degrade that clot and break down the fibrin. When the fibrin breaks down, it forms fibrin degradation products or FDPs. And one of the FDP is D-Dimer.

D-dimer tests are conducted if a patient is showcasing symptoms of blood clots, such as:
• Pain, Swelling, warmth, and changes in skin colour
• Sharp chest pain, breathing issues, blood in cough, and a faster heartbeat
• Nausea and vomiting, Bleeding gums, muscle pain, seizures, severe stomach pain, and decreased urine

At J Mitra, we have the D-Dimer Microlisa test kit for in-vitro quantitative determination of D-Dimer in human plasma. Based on the Sandwich ELISA principle, the test has an accuracy of more than 99.5 per cent. The D-Dimer test adds to our long list of covid-related test products and is our endeavour to fight against the pandemic.

Support us in our endeavor to bring you Advertisement free content.
Choose your options to donate or subscribe.

Tags

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button
Close
Close