Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a serious medical condition caused by out-of-control clotting factors, resulting in small blood clots throughout the body, which can cause tissue death and bleeding. It is difficult to treat and associated with several diseases, with a poor prognosis even with medical care.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a very serious medical condition that is characterized by the formation of small blood clots throughout the vascular system, the series of veins and blood vessels that supply blood to the body. It is associated with tissue death, also known as necrosis, and can also cause bleeding, which may seem a little strange at first, as the condition causes blood clots. The precise cause of DIC is unknown and it is extremely difficult to treat; some doctors suggest that the condition’s acronym, DIC, stands for “death is coming.”
The body’s vascular system is kept in a state of delicate balance. The body wants to maintain a free flow of blood to carry nutrients throughout the body, but it also wants to avoid bleeding freely whenever tissue is damaged. As a result, the body uses clotting agents, compounds in the blood that are activated in the presence of tissue injury to cause the blood to clot, thus stopping the bleeding. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is caused by out-of-control clotting factors, causing small clots to form throughout the body, rather than just at the site of an injury.
As you might imagine, these clots can impede circulation, causing necrosis as tissue loses access to vitally important nutrients. It can also cause bleeding, as the body generates blood thinners to break up clots and when clotting factors are depleted. A patient with disseminated intravascular coagulation may start bleeding and be unable to stop, and this can be especially serious when the bleeding is internal, as medical personnel may not be immediately aware of the problem.
The condition is linked to several diseases, especially in extremely ill patients such as those in an intensive care unit (ICU). Stress can also activate clotting factors. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is diagnosed with the help of blood tests that are analyzed to count platelets and clotting factors. When a patient presents with excessive bleeding and is at risk of disseminated intravascular coagulation, doctors try to act quickly.
Treatment for this condition is very difficult. The use of anticoagulant medications can be helpful, but they can also be very dangerous as they can trigger bleeding from which a patient cannot recover. Patients may also receive platelet transfusions and many other drugs may be used, depending on the patient’s case. However, the prognosis for DIC is not good, even with the best medical care.
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