The Safe Fast Track Study

Emergency departments (ED) internationally are treating an increasing number of patients. Most require hospital services but some could be better cared for on alternative pathways. D-dimer has some unique properties. It is non-specific and is elevated in many acute condi- tions; but conversely remains normal in the absence of significant disease. Previous studies have shown that having a normal D-dimer on arrival to the emergency department is associated with a very low risk of 30-day all-cause mortality. The investigators propose a multicenter randomized controlled trial using D-dimer to identify patients at low risk and test if providing this information will change time to discharge disposition by the treating physician.