Chapter 5: Laboratory Aspects in Diagnosis and Management of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a relatively frequent and life‐threatening disorder, which requires a timely diagnosis and then appropriate clinical management. Laboratory testing plays an essential role throughout diagnosis, prognostication and therapeutic monitoring of VTE. Recent evidence suggests that D‐dimer testing by means of highly sensitive immunoassays in combination with clinical prediction rules and diagnostic imaging is crucial for ruling out venous thrombosis, as well as for predicting risk of recurrence. Laboratory testing in the context of antithrombotic therapies is also essential for both conventional (monitoring) and innovative therapies with direct oral anticoagulants (assessments). Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to review the current role of laboratory diagnostics for prevention, diagnosis, prognostication and therapeutic monitoring of VTE.