Abstract
Serum D-dimer is a protein fragment generated during the final phase of clot formation. Increased serum D-dimer levels indicate the hemostatic change in patients, likely related to the prothrombotic switch. As the world is battling with the damaging effect of coronavirus disease, it is very important to find out the early and effective predictors of prognosis to improve the management of COVID-19 patients. Thus, our study aims to find out the prevalence of increased D-dimer levels in coronavirus disease patients. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 235 patients admitted in the COVID ward and COVID Intensive Care Units at a tertiary care hospital from July 2020 to August 2021 after getting ethical approval (Reference number: 401/2020) from the Institutional Review Committee. A convenience sampling method was used for sample collection. The highest recorded values for D-dimer during the hospital stay were taken for data collection. The data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2013 and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency, proportion, mean and standard deviation. Among 235 patients, elevated D- dimer level was in 175 (74.46%) (68.88-80.04 at 95% Confidence Interval). Majority of the patients were males 136 (77.71%) whereas 39 (22.28%) of the patients were females. The prevalence of raised D-dimer levels was quite higher in our studies compared to other studies done in different parts of the world. Thus, serum D-dimer level may serve as an early marker in improving the management of patients with coronavirus disease. corona virus disease; d-dimer; disease severity.
Highlights
Serum D-dimer is a protein fragment generated during the final phase of clot formation
Serum D-dimer level may serve as an early marker in improving the management of patients with coronavirus disease
Early and effective predictors of clinical outcome is necessary to improve the management of COVID-19 patients
Summary
Serum D-dimer is a protein fragment generated during the final phase of clot formation. Increased serum D-dimer levels indicate the hemostatic change in patients, likely related to the prothrombotic switch. As the world is battling with the damaging effect of coronavirus disease, it is very important to find out the early and effective predictors of prognosis to improve the management of COVID-19 patients. D- dimer is the main product of degradation of crosslinked fibrin by plasmin which is generated in the final phase of clot formation.. D- dimer is the main product of degradation of crosslinked fibrin by plasmin which is generated in the final phase of clot formation.5 It is normally undetectable or detectable at a very low level in the blood, but its level rises in the blood when there is the activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis.. The world continues to battle the damaging effect of coronavirus disease (COVID -19), which has become a public health emergency since December 2019.1,2 Besides the respiratory manifestations of COVID-19, a major complication happens to be the consistent hemostatic changes in patients with severe disease, likely related to the pro-thrombotic switch. Presence of thrombi within the pulmonary vasculature is associated with a diffuse alveolar change in most patients who died from the disease. early and effective predictors of clinical outcome is necessary to improve the management of COVID-19 patients.
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