JACC Vol. 8. No 6
December 1986:159B-167B
DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR
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Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
STEVEN FRUCHTMAN, MD, LOUIS M. ALEDORT, MD
New York. New York
Known variously as disseminated intravascular coagulation, defibrination consumption coagulopathy or, more
simply, as defibrination, disseminated intravascular coagulation is a serious epiphenomenon that occurs most
often as a complicating factor of an underlying disease
process. Although frequently triggered by underlying
disease such as infection or tumor, if not recognized and
treated appropriately, disseminated intravascular coagulation alone may lead to the patient's death as a result
of hemorrhage or thrombosis, or both, of vital organs.
Frequently, it may only manifest itself as an abnormality
of coagulation tests, causing no immediate problem for
the patient, and potentially normalizing when the inciting cause is appropriately managed.
The central process that marks disseminated intravascular coagulation is the generation of thrombin in the
circulating blood by means of the activation of the coagulation mechanism, leading to the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, which, in turn, may lead to throm-
As physicians, we are well aware that diseases of the circulation, as manifested by thrombosis of the coronary and
cerebral arteries, and pulmonary thromboembolism are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Thus, for cardiologists, the most obvious problem is focal thrombosis within
the large arteries and veins of the body. However, fibrin
deposition in the microcirculation is also a major mechanism
of disease and must be recognized clinically as causing
ischemic damage to vital organs, hemorrhage and potentially death. Thus, we must be able to recognize the clinical
settings that predispose patients to disseminated intravascular coagulation and understand its pathophysiology so that
From the Department of Medicine. Mount Sinai School of Medicine,
New York, New York. This study was supported in part by a contract
from the National Heart, Lung. and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland;
Health Services Administration Grant MCB-360001-04-01, Health and
Human Services Grant HL-30567-02; the Regional Comprehensive Hemophilia Diagnostic and Treatment Center; the Margie Boas Fund; the International Hemophilia Training Center of the World Federation of Hemophilia and the Polly Annenberg Levee Hematology Center, Department
of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of
New York, New York, New York.
Address for reprints: Louis M. Aledort, MD, Mount Sinal School of
Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place. New York, New York 10029.
© 1986 by the Amencan College of CardIOlogy
bosis mainly of the microcirculation. Because platelets
and coagulation factors are consumed and fibrinolysis is
enhanced during the coagulation process, hemorrhage
may also ensue.
Although disseminated intravascular coagulation is
frequently encountered in medical and obstetric patients, the difficulty in diagnosis and controversy regarding optimal therapy are frustrating for both patient
and physician. By understanding the pathophysiology of
disseminated intravascular coagulation and combining
clinical observation and laboratory data, one can arrive
at the appropriate diagnosis. Therapy must be individualized, and assessment of the benefit versus risk ratio
of intervention must be made. Early recognition of acute
and life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulation can be lifesaving with appropriate supportive mea·
sures.
(J Am Coli Cardiol1986;8:159B-167B)
a rational approach to diagnosis and therapy can be employed.
Coagulation and Inhibitors of Coagulation as
the Basis of Diagnostic Laboratory Tests
Normal hemostasis is influenced by 1) platelets, 2) coagulation proteins, 3) inhibitors of coagulation, and 4) fibrinolysis (1). The first two influences are outlined in Figure
1. Although each of these four components is described
elsewhere in this symposium (2,3), this brief description is
in the context of disseminated intravascular coagulation and
its diagnostic laboratory variables.
Platelets. Platelets are cellular elements that serve to
plug disrupted areas of the vascular tree and are necessary
for the first phase of hemostasis (that is, formation of a
primary hemostatic plug after injury) (4). The patient with
a defective platelet system, due either to a deficiency in the
quantity of platelets or to abnormal platelet function, usually
presents with evidence of skin or mucosal bleeding. Platelets
are formed from megakaryocytes, the vast majority of which
are found in bone marrow and a minority of which are
0735-1097/86/$3.50
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lACC Vol. 8, No 6
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FRUCHTMAN AND ALEDORT
DISSEMINATED INTRA V ASCULAR COAGULATION
.
PI.ld..·, Count
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
nhrill~{'n
0
0
0
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Figure 1. Elements of normal hemostasis. (Reprinted with permission
from Schafer A. Bleeding Disorders:
Finding the Cause. Hosp Pract 1984;19
[11]:88K-88H.)
0
fibrin
present in lung. Each mature megakaryoctye will ultimately
release approximately 7,000 platelets into the blood.
Ultrastructural components of the platelet include an extracellular coat containing glycoproteins necessary for adhesion and aggregation, dense granules containing adenosine
diphosphate (ADP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), serotonin, calcium and nondense or alphagranules containing
lysosomal enzymes, platelet factor IV. thromboglobulin,
platelet-derived growth factor, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, fibronectin and platelet factor XIII. Platelet adhesion at a site of vessel injury depends, among other factors,
on a platelet surface glycoprotein (called glycoproteinIb)
and plasma von Willebrand factor. Platelet aggregate formation requires the participation of platelet surface glycoproteins (called glycoproteins lIb and IlIa), which are specific
receptors for fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor, bridging
the platelets with each other. Platelet contents released
into the blood cause vasoconstriction and recruitment of additional platelets. During this release phase, thromboglobulin,
platelet factor IV and thrombospondin can be found in the
plasma, and the measurement of these substances has
been used as a marker for in vivo platelet activation (5).
Coagulation pathway. The classic coagulation pathway
(Fig. 1) is based on the "waterfall" hypothesis of Davie et
a1. (6,7). Coagulation occurs after a series of enzymes or
coagulation factors have been activated. This activation can
occur through two main routes designated the extrinsic and
intrinsic systems, both converging at the level of factor V
into a common pathway. When coagulation is initiated by
tissue factor, in the presence of factor VII and calcium, the
"extrinsic system" is activated. This system is best evaluated by the prothrombin time test. When coagulation is
initiated by contact with a negatively charged or damaged
surface in the presence of phospholipids, the coagulation
factors comprising the "intrinsic system" are activated.
This system is best evaluated by the activated partial throm-
boplastin time test. Fibrinogen is converted into fibrin in
the common pathway of coagulation. The thrombin test
monitors this conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin in the presence of thrombin. More specifically, fibrinogen has a dimeric structure, with each half of the molecule containing
three pairs of polypeptide chains: alpha (a), beta «(3) and
gamma (y). Thrombin removes two pairs of peptides from
the fibrinogen molecule during coagulation; these are called
fibrinopeptides A and B and correspond to the N terminal
portions of the a and (3 chains (Fig. 2). Thrombin does not
remove the terminal peptides of the gamma chain. The activity of thrombin is limited by its major inhibitor, anti-
Figure 2. Conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. In the presence of
thrombin, the fibrinopeptides (darkened areas) are split off from
fibrinogen. This produces two molecules of fibrinopeptide A, two
of fibrinopeptide B and one of fibrin monomer. Activated factor
(F) XIIIa converts the fibrin monomers into cross-linked fibrin
polymer. (Reprinted with permission from Nossel [41].)
a~ FIBRINOGEN
(Single Molecule)
~
FREE
FIBRINOPEPTIDES
~THROM8/N
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~ FIBRIN
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lACC Vol 8, No 6
December 1986 159B-167B
thrombin III. The anticoagulant drug heparin markedly increases the activity of antithrombin III and results in marked
inhibition of thrombin activity, with decreased formation of
fibrin from fibrinogen,
The fibrin clots formed by thrombin's action are hemostatically ineffective until a further reaction (namely, crosslinking) occurs, In this reaction, in the presence of calcium,
activated factor XIII converts the fibrin clots into a well
formed, insoluble and hemostatically effective matrix, Plasmin, the thrombolytic enzyme, may act on fibrinogen or
fibrin and produces sequential degradation of these proteins,
as will be discussed later.
The thrombin time test is a sensitive indicator of abnormalities of fibrin formation, Prolongation of clotting after
the addition of thrombin to plasma is commonly due to I)
the presence of heparin in the patient's blood, 2) the presence of fibrin degradation products interfering with polymerization, 3) hypofibrinogenemia or 4) dysfibrinogenemias,
In cases where heparin is the suspected cause of a prolonged
thrombin time but clinical confirmation is absent, the reptilase time is useful. Reptilase, venom from the snake Bothrops atrox, cleaves only fibrinopeptide A from the fibrinogen molecule and, unlike thrombin, is not inhibited by
heparin. If a prolonged thrombin time is due to the presence
of heparin, the reptilase time will be normal. In cases where
prolongation is suspected to be due to interference by fibrin
degradation products, these products can be measured immunologically for confirmation.
Endogenous inhibitors of coagulation. Substances that
act as inhibitors of coagulation are also present in plasma.
A number of antithrombins have been described, the most
important being antithrombin III. Antithrombin III has activity against not only thrombin, but also other serine proteases generated during blood coagulation (8). Its deficiency
in the heterozygous state may result in clinically significant
thrombosis, which usually appears after adolescence. The
homozygous state may not be compatible with life. The
mechanism of action of antithrombin III is to bind to and
inactivate thrombin. Heparin's mechanism of action (9) is
to bind to antithrombin III, which causes a conformational
change of the molecule and markedly increases the affinity
of antithrombin III for thrombin.
Protein C is another central protein in the regulatory
mechanisms of hemostasis. This system decreases the rate
of thrombin formation by controlling factors V and VIlle.
The anticoagulant effect of protein C requires the presence
of protein S (10). Protein C also functions as a profibrinolytic enzyme, increasing the rate of fibrin degradation by
protecting fibrinolysis from inhibition. Patients with hereditary deficiencies of protein C who have levels of 60% or
less than normal can develop thromboembolic syndromes
(11 , 12). Individuals born with homozygous protein C deficiency may develop fatal neonatal purpura fulminans and
disseminated intravascaular coagulation (13). Protein C de-
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ficiency may lead to paradoxical thrombotic complications
or skin necrosis when anticoagulation with warfarin (Coumadin) is initiated (14). Protein S deficiency may also cause
thrombosis (10).
Fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis is the mechanism by which
fibrin is removed after its role in hemostasis is complete,
and results from conversion of an inert plasma proenzyme
(plasminogen) into the proteolytic enzyme plasmin. The
fibrinolytic system consists of plasminogen and plasmin,
together with their activators and inhibitors. Urokinase, isolated from urine, and streptokinase, a bacterial enzyme and
tissue-type plasminogen, are plasminogen activators that
have been used in thrombotic disease to produce thrombolysis or recanalize occluded blood vessels. Endogenous
plasminogen activators are present in varying concentrations
in different body organs. Large amounts are found in the
uterine wall and fallopian tubes (15), although none is present in the placenta (16). Plasminogen activators are present
in other body fluids (for example, milk, tears, saliva and
semen) and may playa role in maintaining the patency of
excretory ducts.
Plasmin has a broad spectrum of proteolytic activity. It
cleaves arginyl-Iysine bonds in a large number of different
substrates including hormones, complement and coagulation
factors, most prominently fibrinogen and fibrin. Fibrinogen
and fibrin absorb plasminogen, and when a fibrin clot forms,
plasmin is found in both free and fibrin-absorbed forms.
Within the microenvironment of a thrombus, the plasmin
absorbed is capable of digesting the fibrin mesh. Freely
circulating plasmin will normally be destroyed by antiplasmins and would, therefore, be unable to degrade its susceptible substrates. Alpha-2-antiplasmin and alpha-2-macroglobulin are important plasma proteins that neutralize
free plasmin. A number of chemical agents have also been
shown to inhibit fibrinolysis by inhibiting conversion of
plasminogen to plasmin. These include E-aminocaproic acid
or EACA (Amicar) (17).
Euglobulin lysis time. A test used for the evaluation of
fibrinolysis is the euglobulin lysis time. Euglobulins are
those proteins that precipitate when plasma is diluted in
water. The plasminogen activators plasminogen, plasmin
and fibrinogen are all euglobulins. Antiplasmins and antiplasminogen activators are soluble in water. The euglobulin
precipitate is redissolved and thrombin is added to form a
fibrin clot. The plasminogen activator activates plasminogen
to plasmin. The amount of time required for plasmin to lyse
the fibrin clot completely is the euglobulin lysis time. A
normal result is longer than 2 hours. Times shorter than this
represent increased fibrinolytic activity.
Degradation offibrin andfibrinogen. The action of plasmin on fibrin or fibrinogen, or both, leads, as mentioned,
to the formation of a group of soluble protein fragments
called fibrin degradation or split products. The immunologic
methods usually used for the assay of these fragments do
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FRUCHTMAN AND ALEDORT
DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULAnON
not distinguish among the various degradation products and
among those split products derived from fibrin and those
derived from fibrinogen. The degradation of fibrin and fibrinogen is a stepwise process, and the molecular size of
the resulting fibrin degradation products depends on the
duration of the activation of plasmin (Fig. 3). Specifically,
in the initial step, approximately 20% of the fibrinogen
molecule is removed from the C terminal of the alpha
chains, yielding fragment X. The proteolysis of fragment
X yields fragments D and Y, and with continued proteolysis
other fragments D and E are formed. The Thrombo-Wellco
test uses latex particles coated with antibodies to fibrin degradation product fragments D and E and correlates well with
the staphylococcal clumping test, which mainly measures
fragments X and Y (18). The tanned-red cell hemagglutination inhibition test is sensitive to all forms of fibrin degradation products.
Fibrin degradation products are removed from the circulation by the liver, kidney and the reticuloendothelial
system. The half-life of these fragments as a group is approximately 9 hours (19). They impair hemostasis by interfering with platelet function and the polymerization of
fibrin.
Pathophysiology
Acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation is usually
a clinically overwhelming problem characterized by depletion of coagulation factors and platelets and with evidence
of fibrinolysis. Coagulation factors are depressed because
Figure 3. Degradation of fibrinogen by plasmin. See text. (Re-
printed with permission from Colman RW, Hirsh J, Marder VJ.
Salzman EW. Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Basic Principles and
Clinical Practice. Philadelphia: 18 Lippincott, 1982.)
Fibrinogen
I
Fragment Y
I
@Fragment D
Fragment E
they are consumed or inactivated during the coagulation
process or because activated factors are removed by the
reticuloendothelial system; therefore, there is a marked decrease in fibrinogen. Thrombocytopenia is present and is
caused by the consumption of platelets at a rate greater than
the bone marrow can compensate for the consumption. Active fibrinolysis occurs, as shown by the increase in concentration of split products of fibrin and fibrinogen; blood
plasminogen concentrations may decrease (20).
Shwartzman phenomenon (sepsis). Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation can be associated with sepsis. This phenomenon can be better understood by reconsidering the Shwartzman phenomenon, which consists of
disseminated intravascular coagulation, bilateral renal cortical necrosis and death from central nervous system bleeding. The Shwartzman reaction characteristically follows two
spaced intravenous injections of bacterial endotoxin into
experimental animals and, in part, is believed to be mediated
by one or more epidoses of disseminated intravascular coagulation (21). The first "preparatory" injection causes little clinical effect, while the second "provocative" injection
can be given 6 to 72 hours after the first to produce dramatic
effects. Microscopic examination of the tissues of these
animals 1 hour after the "preparatory" injection reveals
agglutinated masses of platelets and leukocytes in the lung
and liver, soon followed by numerous fibrin thrombi. The
second injection causes an increase in the number of thrombi
in the liver, lungs and spleen, and new thrombi are found
in the kidney. Virtually every glomerular capillary may be
filled with fibrin.
By studying the sequence of changes in the blood during
the Shwartzman reaction. we can better understand why
certain clinical situations such as infection, pregnancy or
malignancy may predispose these patients to disseminated
intravascular coagulation. Early in these settings, fibrinogen, as an "acute phase reactant," can be elevated. Likewise, in the Shwartzman reaction, after the first exposure
to endotoxin, there is progressive elevation in fibrinogen
levels for 48 hours to levels almost twice as high as control
levels. Only with the second injection 24 hours later is there
an abrupt decrease in fibrinogen. Other factors that are present after the first injection are an increase in circulating
leukocytes and a decrease in platelets. The thrombocytopenia becomes more pronounced with the second injection.
Role of pregnancy in the Shwartzman reaction. In
Fragment X
®--®-
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December 1986 159B-167B
Fragment D
humans, pregnancy is a common clinical precursor of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Pregnancy also occupies a unique position relative to the generalized Shwartzman reaction in that only one injection of endotoxin is required
to elicit the reaction in pregnant or steroid-treated rabbits
(22). Rats do not develop the Schwartzman reaction when
exposed to two injections of endotoxin in the classic manner;
however, pregnant rats will have the reaction after only a
single injection (23). The pregnant state is probably con-
lACC Vol. 8. No 6
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Table 1. Etiology and Clinical Settings of Disseminated
Intravascular Coagulation
Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation
Obstetrics
Septic and saline-induced abortion
Abruptio placenta and placenta previa
Prolonged retention of a dead fetus
Ammotic flUid embolism
Infections
Gram negative sepsIs (for example meningococcemia)
Gram positive sepsis (less common)
Rickettsial (Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
Protozoal (malaria)
Viral (congenital rubella)
Shock
Hypovolemic
Hypoperfusion
Tissue injury
Prolonged surgery
Trauma
Burns
Heat stroke
AnaphylaxIs
Chronic dissemmated intravascular coagulation
Malignant neoplasia
Solid tumors
Leukemia (especially promyelocytic leukemia)
Vascular dIsorders
Giant hemangIOma
Aortic aneurysms
Valvular heart disease
Liver disease
ducive to the Shwartzman reaction as a result of alterations
in hemostasis induced by pregnancy. Almost all coagulation
proteins, including fibrinogen and platelets, increase during
pregnancy. There is also a decrease in fibrinolytic activity
(24). These changes may make other inciting events during
pregnancy more prone to cause fibrin deposition in the microcirculation. Of interest, in this animal model, it has also
been shown that the effect of the second injection of endotoxin may be prevented by prior treatment with anticoagulants or stimulation of fibrinolysis. Leukocytes play an
important role through the release of procoagulant material,
and the induction of leukopenia with nitrogen mustard can
prevent the generalized Shwartzman reaction (25,26).
Clinical features and laboratory measurements. The
acute syndrome usually presents with dramatic urgency in
the form of unexplained bleeding, shock or thrombosis occurring in conditions known to be associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation (Table I). For confirmation,
important measurements are the plasma fibrinogen and the
platelet count. In the typical case, both will be substantially
reduced. However, plasma fibrinogen is an acute phase reactant and may be increased in pregnancy, inflammatory disorders and neoplasia, and the amount of fibrinogen measured
has to be compared with that expected for the patient. There-
FRUCHTMAN AND ALEDORT
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fore, although the fibrinogen may at first be within the
normal range, theoretically the patient may be expected to
have higher levels. With ongoing consumption, the fibrinogen level may continue to decrease if one does not control
the process of disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Subacute and Chronic Disseminated
Intravascular Coagulation
Clinical and laboratory diagnosis. In subacute or chronic
disseminated intravascular coagulation, the diagnosis may
be less obvious and more difficult to make by both clinical
and laboratory observations. The level of the platelets and
coagulation factors in the circulating blood is a dynamic
balance between the rate of production and the rate of destruction. In the less severe syndromes, the association of
multiple coagulation defects, thrombocytopenia, elevated
serum fibrin degradation products and low fibrinogen may
suggest the disorder. However, compensating mechanisms
by the bone marrow, liver and other sites of synthesis of
coagulation proteins will have a variable effect so that the
absence of one or more of these changes does not exclude
the diagnosis. The concentration of some coagulation factors
may even be increased if the synthetic processes are fully
effective and traces of thrombin produce a striking activation
of factor VIII so that one-stage assays of this factor may
give unusually high results (27). Simple screening tests such
as prothrombin, partial thromboplastin and thrombin times
may be normal, prolonged or even shorter than control times
if the coagulation factors are activated. A good example of
the possible variability is the platelet count. Thrombocytosis
associated with malignancy is well recognized, and a "normal" platelet count may reflect significant peripheral destruction of platelets in a clinical setting that may be associated with thrombocytosis. Therefore, a normal platelet
count does not rule out disseminated intravascular coagulation, and platelet counts may reach supranormal levels
when the disseminated intravascular coagulation is controlled (28).
Studies of platelet and fibrinogen kinetics. These studies have helped clarify some of these apparent anomalies.
The use of chromium-5 I-labeled platelets and iodine125-fibrinogen has assisted in distinguishing between changes
in levels caused by altered production, destruction or distribution. By using these techniques, Slichter and Harker
(29) showed that malignancy may be associated with increased consumption of both platelets and fibrinogen, the
turnover rate being related to the type and extent of the
disease. These techniques can also be used to assess the
value of various approaches to therapy. However, such techniques are not widely available, and the more conventional,
static coagulation studies remain the basis of evaluation in
the majority of patients.
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Focal and migratory venous thrombosis and thrombotic endocarditis. There may be a delay in recognition
of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation because
of the complexities already noted. Clinically, obvious bleeding may not be present unless the coagulation factors and
platelets are severely decreased, or the patient may present
with a focal thrombotic tendency due to the activation of
the clotting system. Thus, in a group of patients with malignancy and various manifestations of thrombosis, as reported by Sack et al. (30), isolated venous thrombosis occurred in 113 of 182 patients, and "migratory" venous
thrombosis in 96 of the patients (Trousseau's syndrome).
An unusual feature of these chronically ill patients is nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, which may be a reflection
of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Etiology and Clinical Settings
Table 1 outlines the clinical situations where disseminated intravascular coagulation is encountered. A short description follows:
Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation. Pregnancy. Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation may
be found during complications of pregnancy. These include
abruptio placenta, placenta previa, amniotic fluid embolism,
prolonged retention of dead fetus, retained placenta and
septic abortions or deliveries and eclampsia (31,32).
Infections. Disseminated intravascular coagulation has
been described with almost all infective agents. The meningococcus is a classic culprit, disseminated intravascular
coagulation being particularly common in patients with gram
negative bacteremias. It is also seen in staphylococcal, pneumococcal and clostridial infections and has been reported
in viral, rickettsial and malarial infections (33). Purpura
fulminans is a virulent form of disseminated intravascular
coagulation related to infections, although in some cases no
infective agent can be isolated.
Tissue injury. Prolonged surgical procedures or procedures utilizing extracorporeal circulation may activate the
coagulation or fibrinolytic systems. Massive trauma, especially involving brain tissue, may release thromboplastic
material and initiate intravascular coagulation. Disseminated intravascular coagulation can also be seen in association with severe bums or heat stroke.
Shock. Any cause of shock may result in acute disseminated intravascular coagulation. The initiating event is unclear, but it may be the result of acidosis produced by stasis
in the microcirculation. In the experimental animal, hypovolemic shock may cause blood to become hypocoagulable.
Immunologic. When bleeding occurs after blood transfusion, the possibility of an incompatible blood transfusion
should always be considered. Severe allergic reactions and
anaphylaxis after injection of contrast medium for radiologic
studies may cause defibrination.
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Chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation. Malignancy. Neoplasia is a common cause of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation and may be seen in association with a variety of tumors including those of the lung,
prostate, pancreas, breast, colon and stomach (30,34). Hematologic malignancy, especially acute promyelocytic leukemia, can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation,
especially after chemotherapy that causes cell death and
liberation of cellular contents into the circulation (35).
Vascular and circulatory disorders. Congenital heart
disease, especially of the cyanotic type, can be associated
with a hemorrhagic diathesis due to consumption (36). Patients with abnormal or prosthetic heart valves may also
have a shortening of platelet and fibrinogen life spans and
elevated plasma B thromboglobulin and platelet factor IV
levels. Although these patients are known to have a higher
incidence of clinical thromboembolic disease (37), disseminated intravascular coagulation is less common, except in
cases associated with infective endocarditis, shock or nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, as previously mentioned.
Hemangiomas (Kasabach-Merritt syndrome) are vascular benign tumors that may sequester and consume fibrinogen and platelets from the blood (38). Although rare, this
phenomenon may also be seen in enlarging aortic aneurysms.
Liver disease. Disseminated intravascular coagulation
can occur in patients with liver disease (39). However, it
may be difficult to differentiate from decreased synthetic
ability of the liver in the setting of portal hypertension and
hypersplenism.
Laboratory Evaluation
Screening tests of coagulation. The diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation depends on suspecting
its association with one of the conditions that have been
mentioned and outlined in Table 1. The laboratory can be
used to confirm the clinical suspicion; however, the interpretation of laboratory tests poses a number of difficulties
unless the pathophysiology of consumption is well understood. The presence of thrombin in the circulating blood
would be diagnostic evidence of intravascular coagulation;
however, because of its rapid inactivation by antithrombin
III, it cannot be identified directly. Therefore, to assess the
presence of thrombin in the circulating blood, it may be
necessary to measure the products of thrombin activity, as
will be discussed.
The levels of coagulation factors and platelets may be
decreased, normal or rarely even increased because their
functional and numerical levels depend on their rate of production, activation and destruction. Therefore, screening
tests of coagulation (prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen and platelet count) may reflect this
variability when evaluating a patient with disseminated in-
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travascular coagulation. The bone marrow, for example,
can release 10 times the usual number of platelets, and the
liver can increase the synthesis of fibrinogen by fivefold.
Thus, in mild cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation, there is ample reserve capacity to keep up with the
slow consumption of coagulation factors and platelets; therefore, the static levels of these elements may be normal. The
finding of an elevated level of fibrin degradation products
is a helpful laboratory finding to confirm the presence of
disseminated intravascular coagulation because fibrinolysis
is nearly always secondary to intravascular coagulation.
Immunoassays of thrombin activity. The diagnosis of
disseminated intravascular coagulation is frequently a clinical one. Because of the difficulty in directly demonstrating
the presence of thrombin in the blood, when screening laboratory variables for disseminated intravascular coagulation
are not confirmatory, the indirect effect of thrombin activity
in the circulation may have to be evaluated to help make
the diagnosis. Thrombin binds to platelets and causes platelet aggregation and release of the contents of their alpha
and dense granules. Thus, platelet factor IV and B thromboglobulin can be measured by radioimmunoassays and are
elevated in disseminated intravascular coagulation (40), but
are not specific. Thrombin cleaves fibrinopeptides A and B
from fibrinogen. Accelerated fibrinopeptide A generation in
blood directly indicates an increased concentration of thrombin in the circulating blood and implies systemic activation
of the coagulation mechanism. A radioimmunoassay has
been described by Nossel (41) for measuring the level of
this 16 amino acid peptide. Initial application of the fibrinopeptide A assay showed elevated levels in all patients
with disseminated intravascular coagulation diagnosed by
other criteria. However, patients with a variety of medical
conditions including infections, lupus erythematosus and
thrombosis can also have elevated levels and, therefore, the
test by itself is not diagnostic.
Antithrombin III assay. From a theoretical point of
view, with the pathologic generation of thrombin, one would
also expect to see consumption of antithrombin III. Using
both an immunologic and functional antithrombin III assay
system, it has been shown that antithrombin III is usually
decreased in disseminated intravascular coagulation and it,
thus, may be used as a confirmatory test. Anithrombin III
levels can also be used to follow the response of disseminated intravascular coagulation to appropriate therapeutic
manipulation (42). Protein C antigen and the protein C inhibitor have also been reported to be decreased in disseminated intravascular coagulation and to decrease progressively during the initial stages of disseminated intravascular
coagulation before returning toward normal in nonfatal cases
(43).
In summary, the laboratory may be useful in confirming
the clinical suspicion of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Although a battery of sophisticated tests is available
FRUCHTMAN AND ALEDORT
DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULAnON
165B
in a modem coagulation laboratory, the results can be quite
variable and are rarely diagnostic.
Therapy
Many of the therapeutic options available in managing
patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation are
controversial. This may be due to the heterogeneity of the
underlying disorders causing disseminated intravascular coagulation and the clinical variability of the manifestations
of the condition.
Treatment of the underlying cause. This is the cornerstone of management and the most universally accepted
principle in the treatment of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation. In association with infection, specific antimicrobial therapy along with intensive supportive
treatment to maintain intravascular volume and organ perfusion are essential. For acutely bleeding patients and those
in shock, the maintenace of blood volume is crucial. Evacuation of the uterus in obstetric patients with complications,
cytotoxics in malignant disease and removal of necrotic
tissue at surgery are important principles of management.
These are recognized as accepted approaches to therapy.
Other aspects of intervention are considered to be more
controversial.
Heparin and other agents. Because the intravascular
generation of thrombin is considered the essential pathogenic factor of consumption coagulopathy, it is a logical
therapeutic option to attempt to interfere with thrombin's
activity. Heparin should function in this manner to prevent
further consumption of the hemostatic proteins and platelets.
However, the use of heparin in the management of disseminated intravascular coagulation remains controversial, and
widely differing practices exist. Some investigators (44,45)
found that the careful use of heparin is beneficial; others
(46,47) failed to observe improvement in clinical hemostasis
or influence on survival.
Our approach to the use of heparin in disseminated intravascular coagulation is to recognize it as a potentially
hazardous drug, but one whose benefit may outweigh its
risk in selected patients. If a patient is bleeding or requires
a surgical or invasive procedure in the setting of a low
fibrinogen level and a low platelet count, it is important to
attempt to improve the level of these factors with transfusion
of cryoprecipitate (a source of factor VIII and fibrinogen),
fresh frozen plasma (a source of other coagulatioJl proteins)
and platelet concentrates. In the setting of active disseminated intravascular coagulation, until the underlying cause
can be removed or controlled, it may be very difficult to
increase the level of these circulating hemostatic factors with
transfusion therapy alone. Therefore, replacement therapy
may be given along with a continuous heparin infusion to
interfere with thrombin's action and prolong the half-life of
the circulating factors. Sufficient data support low dose hep-
1668
FRUCHTMAN AND ALEDORT
DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION
arin therapy as equivalent to higher dose therapy in the
management of disseminated intravascular coagulation (48).
We recommend heparin at 500 units/h and the dosage is
monitored by following up the clinical disappearance of
fibrin degradation products and the increase in the fibrinogen
concentration and platelet count.
Most obstetric cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation resolve on evacuation ofthe uterus. Occasionally,
the disseminated intravascular coagulation continues and
can only be reversed by heparin (49). Heparin therapy has
been reported to be effective in improving clinical hemostasis and the coagulation profile in excessive bleeding associated with a giant hemangioma (50) and neoplastic disease, particularly promyelocytic leukemia (51).
Another indication for heparin therapy, we believe, is
evidence of organ ischemia in the setting of disseminated
intravascular coagulation. When intravascular volume has
been optimized and progressive ischemia to major organs
such as the brain or kidney continues, active inhibition of
thrombin by heparin to interfere with continued formation
of fibrin is probably indicated. The documentation of episodes of thrombosis is considered to be a strong indication
for heparin.
Antithrombin III. Because heparin's anticoagulant activity depends on the presence of antithrombin III in the
blood, heparin may be less effective when antithrombin III
is deficient. In patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation, because antithrombin III levels are frequently
low, antithrombin III concentrates have been given along
with heparin therapy (52,53). These studies suggest that
supplementation of antithrombin III in cases of disseminated
intravascular coagulation is a valuable addition to the therapeutic strategies currently employed.
E-aminocaproic acid. The use of agents such as
E-aminocaproic acid (EACA) to block the fibrinolytic component of the syndrome is controversial, and in our opinion
is generally contraindicated. In most discussions of treatment, it is stated that E-aminocaproic acid should be administered only in cases of primary fibrinolysis. This condition is very rare, and it is feared that use of this agent in
conditions associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation may precipitate thrombosis (54) and should, thus,
be avoided.
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