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Definition

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become abnormally active.

Alternative Names

Consumption coagulopathy

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Normally, when you are injured, certain proteins in the blood become activated and travel to the injury site to help stop bleeding. However, in persons with DIC, these proteins become abnormally active. This often occurs due to inflammation, infection, or cancer.

Small blood clots form within the blood vessels. Some of these clots can clog up the vessels and cut off blood supply to various organs such as the liver, brain, or kidney. These organs will then stop functioning. Over time, the clotting proteins become "used up." When this happens, the person is then at risk for serious bleeding from even a minor injury. The small blood clots may also break up healthy red blood cells.

This disorder can result in clots or, more often, in bleeding. The bleeding can be severe.

Risk factors for DIC include:

  • Blood transfusion reaction
  • Cancer, especially certain types of leukemia
  • Infection in the blood by bacteria or fungus
  • Pregnancy complications (such as retained placenta after delivery)
  • Recent surgery or anesthesia
  • Sepsis (an overwhelming infection)
  • Severe liver disease
  • Severe tissue injury (as in burns and head injury)
Symptoms
  • Bleeding, possibly from multiple sites in the body
  • Blood clots
  • Drop in blood pressure
  • Sudden bruising
Signs and tests

The following tests may be done:

Treatment

The goal is to determine and treat the underlying cause of DIC.

Blood clotting factors may be replaced with plasma transfusions. Heparin, a medication used to prevent clotting, is sometimes used.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outcome depends on what is causing the disorder.

Complications
  • Lack of blood flow to arms, legs, or vital organs
  • Severe bleeding
  • Stroke
Calling your health care provider

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have bleeding that won't stop.

Prevention

Get prompt treatment for conditions known to bring on this disorder.

References

Schafer AI. Hemorrhagic disorders: disseminated intravascular coagulation, liver failure, and vitamin K deficiency. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 181.

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12y ago
Definition

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become abnormally active.

Alternative Names

Consumption coagulopathy

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Normally when you are injured, certain proteins in the blood become activated and travel to the injury site to help stop bleeding. However, in persons with DIC, these proteins become abnormally active. This often occurs due to inflammation, infection, or cancer.

Small blood clots form in the blood vessels. Some of these clots can clog up the vessels and cut off blood supply to various organs such as the liver, brain, or kidney. These organs will then be damaged and may stop functioning.

Over time, the clotting proteins are consumed or "used up." When this happens, the person is then at risk for serious bleeding, even from a minor injury or without injury. This process may also break up healthy red blood cells.

Risk factors for DIC include:

  • Blood transfusion reaction
  • Cancer, especially certain types of leukemia
  • Infection in the blood by bacteria or fungus
  • Liver disease
  • Pregnancy complications (such as placenta that is left behind after delivery)
  • Recent surgery or anesthesia
  • Sepsis (a serious infection)
  • Severe tissue injury (as in burns and head injury)
Symptoms
  • Bleeding, possibly from multiple sites in the body
  • Blood clots
  • Bruising
  • Drop in blood pressure
Signs and tests

The following tests may be done:

Treatment

The goal is to determine and treat the cause of DIC.

Blood clotting factors may be replaced with plasma transfusions. Platelet transfusions can raise the blood count. Heparin, a medication used to prevent clotting, is sometimes used to interrupt clotting events.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outcome depends on what is causing the disorder, but DIC can be life-threatening.

Complications
  • Bleeding
  • Lack of blood flow to the arms, legs, or vital organs
  • Stroke
Calling your health care provider

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have bleeding that won't stop.

Prevention

Get prompt treatment for conditions known to bring on this disorder.

References

Schafer AI. Hemorrhagic disorders: disseminated intravascular coagulation, liver failure, and vitamin K deficiency. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 181.

Liebman HA, Weitz IC. Disseminated intravascular coagulation. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Shattil SS, et al., eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 132.

Reviewed By

Review Date: 12/28/2010

David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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Related questions

What does dic mean in English?

It can be the abbreviation of the word dictionary. In medicine it can be the abbreviation for disseminated intravascular coagulation.


What does a prolonged PT signal?

It may mean that the patient has a vitamin K deficiency, a liver disease, or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).


What does the medical abbreviation DIC mean?

DIC stands for Dissiminated Intravascular Coagulation.


What is disseminated intravascular coagulation DIC?

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), also known as consumptive coagulopathy, is a pathological activation of coagulation (blood clotting) mechanisms that happens in response to a variety of diseases. DIC leads to the formation of small blood clots inside the blood vessels throughout the body.[1] As the small clots consume coagulation proteins and platelets, normal coagulation is disrupted and abnormal bleeding occurs from the skin (e.g. from sites where blood samples were taken), the digestive tract, the respiratory tract and surgical wounds. The small clots also disrupt normal blood flow to organs (such as the kidneys), which may malfunction as a result.[2]DIC can occur acutely but also on a slower, chronic basis, depending on the underlying problem.[3] It is common in the critically ill, and may participate in the development of multiple organ failure, which may lead to death.[Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disseminated_intravascular_coagulation


Why take D Dimer blood test in Delhi?

The test helps to detect serious blood clot disorders like deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In the case of the COVID-19 infection, it shows the clot in the body.


What diagnostic or laboratory tests are used to confirm a diagnosis of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation?

A: Clinically, DIC is usually diagnosed on the basis of the underlying disease, observed low platelet counts on a peripheral blood test, increases in bleeding times, and the presence of degradation products in the blood plasma.


What is disseminated intravascular coagulation?

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a pathological process in the body where the blood starts to coagulate throughout the whole body. This depletes the body of its platelets and coagulation factors, and there is a paradoxically increased risk of haemorrhage. It occurs in critically ill patients, especially those with Gram-negative sepsis (particularly meningococcal sepsis) and acute promyelocytic leukemia.Basically the person is clotting and bleeding at the same time. It is a very very serious disorder, and can be very deadly. Once all of the body's clotting factors are used up (and they can be used up very quickly) then the body just bleeds out of every opening in the body (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, anus, etc.) It can be treated by giving the person blood products to help replenish the volumes being lost and also giving products that will help clot the blood. However sometimes it is too late. The only way to really correct this disorder is to correct whatever the underlying cause for the DIC was.Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a disorder. When someone has DIC their proteins that control blood clotting becomes over active.


How can blood clotting be bad?

Uncontrolled blood clotting, where the blood clots but there is no wound to seal, can lead to death. If the blood clots are in the blood stream they can break off and cause obstructions in other organs or tissues. If the blood is extravasated, the clot can interfere with normal organ and tissue function. Systemic blood clotting, called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), is a medical emergency that can lead to death.


What is a d dimer test result of 0.77 mean?

It is a little bit higher than normal (<0,5) but it is not shocking. D-dimers are the products that result if a blood clot disolves in your blood. If you have high levels, there is a good possibility that you have DIC: Disseminated intravascular coagulation. This is a serious desease. Maybe you want to go to a docter and check out the course of your D-dimer. You don't want the level to get high.


What is DIC an abbreviation for?

Diffusion, Information et CommunicationDisseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy, a blood disorder.


Cause of hemolysis and DIC in near drowning?

Hemolysis, or the breakdown of red blood cells, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a condition causing abnormal blood clotting, can occur in near drowning due to several factors. Near drowning can result in hypoxia and acidosis, which can damage red blood cells and trigger the release of substances that activate the coagulation cascade. Additionally, the trauma and tissue damage from the near drowning event can also contribute to the development of hemolysis and DIC.


Where to find pictures of the black plague?

So called 'Black Plague' victims died from what is now called disseminated intravascular coagulation. No 'pictures' could be taken of the original plague, hundreds of years before photography, but you may be able to find pictures of disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC.