As a result, a person with DIC easily clots, bleeds, or both.
Its presence is highest in critically ill people who are often hospitalized in theintensive care unit(ICU).
This article explores what it means to have disseminated intravascular coagulation, including how it develops and its symptoms.
Pramote Polyamate / Getty Images
It will also review the diagnosis and treatment of DIC.
Pramote Polyamate / Getty Images
Why Does Blood Overclot in Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation?
The procoagulant components create the blood clot, whereas the anticoagulant components limit the clot formation to preventthrombosis.
What Is Thrombosis?
Thrombosis is when a clot obstructs the inside of the blood vessel.
This blockage restricts blood flow to organs like the liver, brain, or kidneys.
In DIC, the procoagulant pathways are activated, while the anticoagulant pathways are simultaneously impaired.
These widespread clots impair blood flow, contributing to organ failure.
Excessive bleeding may also occur in DIC, especially if the condition progresses rapidly.
What Causes Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation?
DIC does not occur on its own.
An underlying health condition always triggers it.
DIC’s common causessometimes referred to as risk factorsaresepsisand cancer.
Sepsisoccurs when an infection triggers a severe whole-body reaction.
The infection can be a virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite.
Acute DICis more severe and develops very quickly, over hours to days.
People with acute DIC are usually very sick and in the hospital.
Blood Clots
The symptoms of blood clotting depend on the site(s) of the blockage.
Thrombosis in small blood vessels that supply the liver or kidney may result in liver/kidney damage or failure.
Astrokemay occur if a blood clot prevents blood from reaching the brain.
Instead, healthcare providers consider the results of several blood tests and the patient’s overall clinical picture.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Treatment
The cornerstone for treating DIC involves addressing the underlying cause.
For example, suppose a person has bacterial sepsis and resultant DIC.
In that case, treatment is focused on killing the infection withantibioticsand providing support measures.
Secondly, treatments geared toward DIC are implemented.
What Is the Mortality (Death) Rate for DIC?
Experts suspect the decline stems from advances in DIC therapies and changes in DIC-related care strategies.
That said, in many cases, DIC persists, and it’s not necessarily clear why.
Ongoing DIC requires close laboratory monitoring and care to restore platelet or clotting factor deficiencies or calm overactive clotting.
DIC may occur suddenly, usually in critically ill people, or come on gradually over weeks to months.
Treatment aims to fix the root cause and restore the body’s normal blood-clotting pathways.
The latter may be achieved by administering platelet transfusions or clotting factor replacement therapies.
2018;24(9_suppl):8S-28S.
doi:10.1177/1076029618806424
Palta S, Saroa R, Palta A.Overview of the coagulation system.Indian J Anaesth.
2014;58(5):515-23. doi:10.4103/0019-5049.144643
Levi M, Scully M.How I treat disseminated intravascular coagulation.Blood.
2018;131(8):845-854. doi:10.1182/blood-2017-10-804096
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Rinaldi I, Sudaryo MK, Prihartono NA.Disseminated intravascular coagulation in sepsis and associated factors.J Clin Med.
2014;2(1):15. doi:10.1186/2052-0492-2-15
Levi M.Diagnosis and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation.Int J Lab Hematol.
2020;3(4):313-320. doi:10.31662/jmaj.2020-0013
