D-dimers, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, and risk factors for thromboembolism in hospitalized patient

There is lack of data about the correlation between hemostatic markers and the clinical and biological risk factors (RFs) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in medical inpatients without suspicion of acute VTE.

To evaluate the coagulation activation status in patients with current known RFs for VTE, the authors measured 2 markers of hypercoagulability, thrombin antithrombin (TAT) complexes and D-dimers, at day 1 in 165 patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards without suspected acute VTE. All known RFs for VTE were systematically assessed at admission and classified in a chronological way as permanent or transient.

Surprisingly, TAT values followed a multimodal distribution. D-dimers showed a normal distribution after a logarithmic transformation (P = .34, Shapiro-Wilk test). Interestingly, a significant progression in D-dimer levels was found according to the chronological classification of RFs. D-dimer variations on multivariate analysis (not applicable for TAT because of the multimodal distribution) correlated independently with a recent inability to walk and an increase in C reactive protein level more than 10 mg/L.

(a) this study is the first to describe the variations of hypercoagulability markers according to a systematic screening of RFs for VTE in inpatients without suspicion of acute VTE, (b) TAT appeared as a less relevant marker of hypercoagulability than D-dimers in internal medicine inpatients, (d) the chronological classification of RFs identified clearly groups at risk for the prethrombotic state, and (d) an increased hypercoagulability state was demonstrated in patients with an association between a recent immobility and increased inflammatory markers.