Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
Serology
F.D.P. stands for fibrin degradation products - the leftover fragments produced when a blood clot is broken down by the body's own clot-dissolving system. Unlike D-dimer, which targets one specific fragment and is used mainly to help rule out a clot in the leg or lung, this test measures the fragments more broadly and is used more often to look at whether clot breakdown is happening throughout the bloodstream, as it does in disseminated intravascular coagulation. A result above the lab's reference range says clot breakdown is happening somewhere in the body - it does not say where, which is why it is read alongside fibrinogen, platelet count, and PT/PTT rather than alone.
This test reports a level of fibrin degradation products in your blood, checked against the lab's own reference range. It rises whenever the fibrinolytic system - the body's clot-dissolving machinery - is more active than usual, whether that activity is appropriate, such as clearing a clot after surgery, or pathological, as in disseminated intravascular coagulation, where clotting factors are consumed faster than the liver can replace them. Because many situations can raise the level, this test is read together with other clotting tests rather than by itself.
Every clot your body forms eventually gets broken down again, and that breakdown leaves measurable fragments behind. A result within the normal range reflects everyday, appropriate clot clearance. A markedly raised level suggests something is triggering widespread clot formation and breakdown at the same time, which is the hallmark of disseminated intravascular coagulation.
On its own, a raised FDP result cannot separate a serious systemic process from something more localised, such as a recent surgical wound or a large bruise resolving. Doctors typically order it together with fibrinogen, platelet count, and PT/PTT to build a fuller picture, since DIC characteristically lowers fibrinogen and platelets at the same time FDP rises.
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation, often triggered by severe infection or major trauma - Liver disease, which slows clearance of these fragments - Kidney disease, for the same reason - Pregnancy complications such as placental abruption or preeclampsia - Recent major surgery
A single raised FDP result is rarely acted on alone. Your doctor weighs it against your fibrinogen, platelet count, and overall clinical picture before deciding what it means.
Normal is generally under about 10 micrograms per millilitre, though the exact cutoff depends on the lab's own method. Ranges vary by lab, so check the reference interval printed on your specific report.
D-dimer measures one specific, well-defined fragment and is used mainly to help rule out a clot in the legs or lungs. FDP measures clot breakdown fragments more broadly and is used more often to evaluate suspected disseminated intravascular coagulation.
It means clot breakdown is happening somewhere in the body faster than usual, but it doesn't identify the cause by itself. Your doctor reads it alongside fibrinogen, platelet count, and your clinical picture to work out what's driving it.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation typically lowers fibrinogen and platelets at the same time it raises FDP, so looking at all three together gives a clearer picture than any one test alone.
There's no fixed fasting rule for this test specifically. Ask your doctor or the centre when you book, especially if other blood tests are being drawn at the same time.
Yes, pregnancy complications such as placental abruption or preeclampsia can raise FDP levels. Your doctor accounts for pregnancy when interpreting a raised result.