Measurement of plasma fibrin D-Dimer using monoclonal antibody-coated latex particles: a new approach for screening of DIC in newborns

30 newborns with neonatal infection from the NICU of Banha University Hospitals were studied for early detection of DIC despite absence of clinical evidence of this condition. 10 normal newborns were also studied to serve as controls. D-Dimer latex agglutination test was employed in addition to PTT, platelet count and FDP. 18 of 30 cases [60%] showed laboratory evidence of DIC despite lack of clinical evidence. FDP is recommended as the screening test for cases of DIC due to its high sensitivity and D-Dimer is recommended as a confirmatory test for cases with high FDP due to its high specificity