Which laboratory test helps support a suspected pulmonary embolism but is not specific?

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Multiple Choice

Which laboratory test helps support a suspected pulmonary embolism but is not specific?

Explanation:
The key idea is that the D-dimer test reflects clot breakdown and is very sensitive for thromboembolic disease, but it is not specific to pulmonary embolism. D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product released when clots are formed and dissolved by plasmin. Because many conditions—surgery, infection, inflammation, cancer, pregnancy, trauma, aging—can raise D-dimer, a high result suggests a possible PE but cannot confirm it. It’s most useful for ruling out PE in patients with low-to-intermediate probability: a negative result makes PE unlikely, while a positive result must be followed by imaging to confirm the diagnosis. The other options don’t provide this combination of high sensitivity and limited specificity: an electrocardiogram isn’t diagnostic for PE, a CBC is nonspecific, and an ABG may show oxygenation changes but doesn’t specifically support PE.

The key idea is that the D-dimer test reflects clot breakdown and is very sensitive for thromboembolic disease, but it is not specific to pulmonary embolism. D-dimer is a fibrin degradation product released when clots are formed and dissolved by plasmin. Because many conditions—surgery, infection, inflammation, cancer, pregnancy, trauma, aging—can raise D-dimer, a high result suggests a possible PE but cannot confirm it. It’s most useful for ruling out PE in patients with low-to-intermediate probability: a negative result makes PE unlikely, while a positive result must be followed by imaging to confirm the diagnosis. The other options don’t provide this combination of high sensitivity and limited specificity: an electrocardiogram isn’t diagnostic for PE, a CBC is nonspecific, and an ABG may show oxygenation changes but doesn’t specifically support PE.

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