What Is Disseminated
intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare, life-threatening condition. In the
early stages of the condition, DIC causes your blood to clot excessively. This
can cause blood clots that reduce blood flow and can block blood from reaching
bodily organs. As the condition progresses, the platelets and clotting factors
in your blood are used up, and you will begin to experience excessive bleeding.
is a serious condition that can lead to death. If you have bleeding that won’t
stop, go to the emergency room, or call 911 for prompt medical treatment.
What Are the Symptoms of
sometimes from multiple locations on the body, is one of the more common
symptoms of DIC. Bleeding from the mucosal tissue (in the mouth and nose), and
bleeding from other external areas may occur. In addition, DIC may cause
- blood clots
- decreased blood pressure
- easy bruising
- rectal or vaginal bleeding
- red dots on the surface of the skin (petechiae)
you have cancer, DIC generally begins slowly, and clotting in the veins is more
common than excessive bleeding.
What Causes DIC?
the proteins used in your normal clotting process become overly active, it can
cause DIC. Infection, severe trauma (such as brain injuries or crushing
injuries), inflammation, surgery, and cancer are all known to contribute to
less common causes of DIC include the following:
- extremely low body temperature (hypothermia)
- venomous snake bites
- complications during pregnancy
may also develop DIC if you go into shock.
Who Is at Risk for DIC?
risk for DIC is elevated if you have recently:
- undergone surgery
- delivered a baby
- had an incomplete miscarriage
- had a blood transfusion
- had anesthesia
- had sepsis or any other fungal or bacterial blood
- had certain types of cancer, especially certain types of
- had serious tissue damage such as a head injury, burns, or
- had liver disease
How Is DIC Diagnosed?
may be identified through various tests related to your levels of platelets,
clotting factors, and other blood components. However, there is not a standard
procedure. The following are some tests that may be conducted if your doctor
- fibrin degradation product
- complete blood cell count (CBC) from a blood smear
- complete blood cell count (CBC) from sample
- platelet count
- partial thromboplastin time
- D-dimer test
- serum fibrinogen
- prothrombin time
Complications of DIC
can cause complications, especially when it is not treated properly. Complications
can occur from the excessive clotting that occurs in the early stages of the
condition, and the absence of clotting factors in the later stages.
- blood clots that cause a lack of oxygen to limbs and
- excessive bleeding that may lead to death
How Is DIC Treated?
treatment depends on what is causing the disorder. Treatment of the underlying
cause is the main goal. To treat the clotting problem, you may be given an
anticoagulant called heparin to reduce and prevent clotting. However, heparin
may not be administered if you have a severe lack of platelets or are bleeding
with acute DIC require hospitalization, often in an intensive care unit (ICU),
where treatment will attempt to correct the problem causing the DIC while
maintaining the function of the organs.
transfusion may be needed to replace the platelets that you are missing. Plasma
transfusions have the ability to replace the clotting factors that you are
Long-Term Outlook for DIC
outlook of your treatment depends on what caused you to develop DIC. If the
initial problem can be corrected, then DIC will resolve. If not, your doctor
may prescribe blood thinners to prevent blood clots.
who are taking blood thinners should see their doctors for regular checkups.
Your doctor will want to give you regular blood tests to evaluate how your
blood is clotting.