Effects of anticoagulant therapy on D-dimer content in the elderly versus non-elderly patients with pulmonary embolism / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the difference of the clinical manifestations between the elderly and non-elderly patients with non-massive pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and the significance of D-dimer in the diagnosis of PTE and its dynamic change after anticoagulant therapy.Methods The clinical manifestations of 83 cases with PTE were retrospectively analysed and divided into two groups39 elderly and 44 non-elderly.The dynamic changing of D-dimer content was determined by immunoturbidimetry(ITM) method before and 3 d after anticoagulant therapy in the two groups.Results There were no significant statistical differences in the incidence of the main symptomsdyspnea,cough,emptysis,syncope,palpitations between the elderly and the non-elderly (x2 =2.74,0.06,0.10,0.49,0.01,P＞0.05) except for the incidence of chest pain [14 cases (35.9 ％) vs.30 cases (68.2 ％),x2 =4.95,P ＜ 0.05].No differences were found in the the main signsshortness of breath,tachycardia,accentuation or split of second pulmonary valve sound,cyanosis,and engorgement of neck veins between the two groups (x2 =2.60,0.03,0.61,0.06,0.33,0.11,P＞0.05).D-dimer content was lower in the elderly than in the non-elderly [(1.89±1.21) mg/L vs.(4.93±3.88) mg/L,Z=-2.55,P=0.01] before anticoagulant therapy.But there was no difference in D -dimer content between the two groups 3 d after anticoagulant therapy [( 1.28 ±1.11) mg/L vs.(2.09±2.22) mg/L,Z=-7.07,P=0.50].The decreasing level of D-dimer was less prominent in the elderly than in the non-elderly [(0.61±1.01) mg/Lvs.(2.84±2.95) mg/L,Z=-3.54,P=0.001].Conclusions The main clinical manifestations are similar between the elderly and non-elderly with non-massive PTE,but the incidence of chest pain is less in the elderly than in the non-elderly.The content of D-dimer is lower in the elderly than non-elderly after PTE and its decrements are less prominent in the elderly than the non-elderly after anticoagulant therapy.