Point-of-Care Testing in the Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Review

Abstract

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a venous reflux disorder disease caused by abnormal blood coagulation in the deep veins. It frequently occurs in the lower limbs of orthopedic patients, pregnant women, and the elderly. DVT can easily cause a pulmonary embolism (PE), a disease with a high mortality rate. Therefore, the detection and processing of DVT are crucial. Based on traditional diagnostic management, doctors use D-dimer and ultrasound (US) for screening and diagnosis. However, it does not work well for early diagnosis, and the cost to the health-care system is enormous. Early detection and continuous monitoring are the urgent capabilities that current diagnostic equipment needs. Point-of-care testing (POCT) equipment is a type of detection equipment that can diagnose independently and also has the advantages of stability, reliability, easy care, and long-term monitoring. It has a wide application scenario and can be used away from the service and inspection centers, for example, in telemedicine, outdoor first aid, and community health care. POCT equipment also benefits new development in the early diagnosis of DVT. This article presents the history of diagnostic procedures and a clinical diagnostic approach to DVT. We investigate the early diagnosis of DVT based on the characteristics of POCT equipment. We present the current state, benefits, and drawbacks of POCT diagnostic equipment, including POC D-dimer, POC US (POCUS), and photoplethysmography (PPG). In addition, we analyze performance measures from research methods, such as sensitivity and specificity. Finally, we outline the developing trends of DVT detection methods and propose several issues that need to be addressed.