Fibrin Degradation Products (FDP) Lab Values

Hi, Abby here with nursing.com. In this lesson, we’ll discuss fibrinogen. Of course we’re gonna talk about the clotting cascade. We’ll talk about normal values, increased values, decreased values, and why we would draw this lab. Let’s get started! 

Fibrin degradation products, abbreviated FDP, measures the amount of these products in the blood. And what are these products? They’re actually a result of fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis is the process in the body when a clot is broken down, that’s a normal process. When this clot gets broken down, there are products that are released like D-dimer and other substances, those are FDPs. It evaluates for clotting disorders. 

Clinical indications are for signs and symptoms of DIC. What is DIC? Remember all that crazy, crazy over-production or over formation of clots, and then there’s no more fibrin, right? That is DIC. It also helps to evaluate the function of fibrinolysis in the system. Is it working correctly, and to evaluate if there’s a clotting disorder. Now, why did I include this picture of the uterine side of the placenta? Well, if you were to really be able to see and look at all of this, you would see all of these teeny, teeny, tiny little capillaries, and also the bigger arterials, venules and all of that blood networking, and how exposed it is on this uterine side of the placenta. So, what’s left in the uterus is also this raw edge of all of these vessels. And so, in DIC, if it becomes this hypercoagulable state like can happen with placental abruption, or even in postpartum hemorrhage, we’re going to draw this lab to see if the clot is breaking down properly. 

So, normal therapeutic values are less than 5 micrograms per milliliter, and collection happens in a light blue tube, because we’re looking at coags. The lab value will be increased for these fibrin degradation products in the case of disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC. It’s also going to be increased if there are clotting disorders, meaning that there are so many clots, that there are so much more of those products as a product of fibrinolysis. We will see this in liver disease, kidney disease, and congenital heart disease, increased values. And, even during pregnancy, this can be the case in preeclampsia, placental, abruption, like we talked about, and even in miscarriage. They’ll also be increased in transfusion, right? Transfusion, there can be sometimes, that inflammatory process and inflammation. We’re going to see clotting, and in clotting, we’re gonna see fibrinolysis, so then, we’re going to see an increase in those products right? Now, it can also be apparent in cases of bypass surgery. There’s so much hemolysis and fibrin, and clotting, and breakdown in bypass surgery, so there’s going products left over as a result, and then, in transfusion, or transplant rejection. Now, low incidents of the degradation products are not clinically significant or related to any disease disorder process. 

FDP or the measurement of fibrin degradation products, which are produced in the breakdown process of blood clots, and it measures or evaluates clotting disorders. Normal values are below 5 micrograms per milliliter. There is likely always some clot formation and fibrinolysis going on throughout the body all the time. So, for there to be just a little bit at all times, is normal, we want that. It will be increased with disseminated intravascular coagulation during blood clot degradation, and in clotting disorders or liver disease. A decreased value is not clinically significant. 

Now, you’ve all done great on this lesson and this wraps it up on fibrin degradation products. Remember, we know you can do it and we love you. Now, go out, be your best self today and as always, happy nursing.

References:

• https://www.uptodate.com/contents/disorders-of-fibrinogen?search=fibrin%20degradation%20products&source=search_result&selectedTitle=4~76&usage_type=default&display_rank=4
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7204962/
• https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/fibrin-degradation-products-blood-test
• https://www.uptodate.com/contents/evaluation-and-management-of-disseminated-intravascular-coagulation-dic-in-adults?search=fibrin%20degradation%20products&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~76&usage_type=default&display_rank=3
• https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2085477-overview
• https://ltd.aruplab.com/Tests/Pub/2006491