Title: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation<br/>Author: Michael Winters<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/141/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
        <strong><u>Coagulopathies in Critical Illness - DIC</u></strong></p>
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                Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an acquired syndrome of intravascular coagulation and is commonly encountered in critically ill patients.</li>
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                Think about DIC in the critically ill patient with oozing at vascular sites (or wounds) and the following lab abnormalities:
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                                Thrombocytopenia</li>
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                                Prolonged PT and aPTT</li>
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                                Decreased fibrinogen</li>
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                                Elevated fibrin split products and D-dimer</li>
                </ul>
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                Guidelines for the management of DIC are primarily based on expert opinion and include:
                <ul>
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                                Treat the underlying condition (i.e., sepsis)</li>
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                                Transfuse platelets if < 50,000 per mm³</li>
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                                Transfuse FFP to maintain PT and aPTT < 1.5 times normal control</li>
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                                Transfuse cryoprecipitate to maintain fibrinogen levels > 1.5 g/L</li>
                </ul>
        </li>
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                The use of heparin remains controversial and cannot be routinely recommended.</li>
</ul>
<fieldset><legend>References</legend>

                <p>
        Hunt B. Bleeding and coagulopathies in critical care. <em>NEJM </em>2014;370:847-59.</p>
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