The FDA approved Biosite's (San Diego, Calif.) Triage D-Dimer test, a new portable point-of-care diagnostic test that assesses and evaluates patients with suspected thromboembolic events, including pulmonary embolism (PE). The device can be used in the emergency department or at the patient's bedside.

Biosite notes that currently, more cases of PE are missed than are actually diagnosed because of its vague symptoms. Pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of death in the United States, with 650,000 cases occurring annually.

The new test is expected to be available immediately. For more information, visit http://www. biosite.com or call 1-888-BIOSITE.