Progressive Care Nursing Certification (PCCN) Practice Exam

An elevated serum D-dimer indicates the presence of?

1. Coagulopathy

2. Fibrin clot formation

3. Low calcium

4. Heart failure

The correct answer is: Fibrin clot formation

An elevated serum D-dimer level indicates the presence of fibrin clot formation and breakdown in the body. D-dimer is a byproduct that is generated when a blood clot dissolves. It is a specific fragmentation product of fibrin, the protein involved in blood clotting. Elevated levels of D-dimer are often used in clinical settings to help rule out or confirm the presence of thrombotic events, such as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. While an elevated D-dimer can be seen in other conditions like coagulopathies or heart failure, these factors do not directly cause an increase in D-dimer levels in the same way that fibrin clot formation and subsequent breakdown do. Thus, the presence of elevated D-dimer specifically correlates with the ongoing processes of clot formation and lysis, making its relevance to fibrin clot formation the most appropriate choice.