Serial D-dimer concentrations and its relation to thrombolysis

Abstract

This study asseses the correlation of serially measured plasma D-dimer concentrations and the status of reper-fusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction who were treated with streptokinase. Thirty-six patients were enrolled and divided into two groups in respect to the patency of the culprit coronary artery. Thrombolytic therapy was considered as successful in group A (31 patients) and as unsuccessful in group B (5 patients). In group A, D-dimer values 2 hours after the streptokinase had a peak and were significantly higher than those obtained before streptokinase (p < 0.0001). In group B, D-dimer values 2 hours after streptokinase were non-significantly higher than those obtained before streptokinase (p = 0.068). When the corresponding D-dimer values were compared in both groups, 2 hours and 6 hours after streptokinase, group A had a significantly higher D-dimer value (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0002, respectively), 24 hours after streptokinase, there was not any significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.16). This study demonstrates that serially measured D-dimer values could serve as a useful laboratory tool to support reperfusion or to suspect failed thrombolysis