Wallach's Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests: Pathways to Arriving at a Clinical Diagnosis (929 page)

   Limitations

Preanalytic

   Clotted specimens or those obtained with the wrong anticoagulant

   Inappropriately filled test tubes

   Inappropriately stored blood

   Hyperlipidemic, icteric, or hemolyzed blood

   Hct >55%

FIBRINOGEN DEGRADATION PRODUCTS (FDPs)
*

   Definition

   FDPs represent fragments D and E, major breakdown products of fibrinogen and fibrin. FDPs do not distinguish between fibrinolysis, fibrinogenolysis (the effect of pathologic or therapeutic fibrinolysis), or the combined effect of fibrinolysis plus thrombin generation, as seen in DIC.

   
Normal range:
<10 μg/mL.

   Use

   FDP, as performed in most laboratories, is a simple and rapid semiquantitative, latex-based test.

   It is used, in conjunction with other assays, to diagnose activated fibrinolysis or DIC in suspected patients.

   Interpretation