| 摘要 |
The present invention comprises a method for excluding the presence of a pulmonary embolism using a combination of a blood test for D-dimer and a carboximetry test measuring the ratio of exhaled CO2 to O2. If the measured D-Dimer value is at or above a threshold indicative of concern and the carboximetry value is equal to or greater than a pre-determined carboximetry ratio threshold, a clinically significant pulmonary embolism, or a pulmonary thrombus above a certain effective size, is unlikely to be present. If the measured D-Dimer value is at or above a threshold indicative of concern and the respiratory analysis yields a carboximetry ratio less than the carboximetry ratio threshold, test results are inconclusive and additional testing may be required to determine whether a clinically significant pulmonary embolism, or a pulmonary thrombus above a specified size is present. The present invention also comprises a method for diagnosing or excluding the presence of respiratory dysfunction in an individual by using carboximetry values corresponding to an end-tidal volume of an exhaled breath that is a pre-determined multiple of the individual's estimated pulmonary dead space. In one aspect, a linear regression function is used to represent the CO2/O2 ratio derived from the measured CO2 and O2 values in an exhaled breath, and the function is used to determine the CO2/O2 ratio corresponding to the pre-determined end-tidal volume.
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