DIC


title: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) tags: #FFICM notebook: 🌑-FFICM type: inprogress


  • [[revision-notes-in-intensive-care]]

4.3.1 Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

Flashcard type:basic
What is the most common cause for DIC? Sepsis
What are the two main presentations of DIC? Bleeding and Microthrombi
Is fibrinogen up or down in DIC? Down
Is PT up or down in DIC? Up
Is APTT up or down in DIC? Up
Is D-Dimer up or down in DIC? Up
Are platelets up or down in DIC? Down
What are the three main haem things that go up in DIC? PT / APTT / D-Dimer
What are the two main haem things that go down in DIC? Fibrinogen / Platelets
How do you fix DIC? Fix the underlying cause
What do you give to fix significant bleeding in DIC? FFP and Platelets

  • Defined by International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) as ‘an acquired syndrome characterized by the intravascular activation of coagulation with loss of localization arising from different causes’.
  • Most common cause is sepsis.
  • Commonly manifests clinically with bleeding, although can present with microthrombi.
  • Laboratory findings include:
  • Hypofibrinoginaemia
  • Prolonged PT and APTT
  • Raised D-dimer
  • Thrombocytopaenia
  • Management focuses on identification and treatment of the underlying cause, and transfusion of FFP/platelets if significant bleeding is encountered.
  • Unfractionated heparin is used by some practitioners in the presence of thrombotic complications; however, its use is controversial and is not universally accepted.

Flashcard type:cloze
{{c1::Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation::condition}} is an acquired syndrome characterised by the {{c2::intravascular activation of coagulation::pathology}} with {{c3::loss of localisation::clause}}, arising from {{c4::different causes::cause}}