Semin Thromb Hemost 2022; 48(08): 978-987
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756300
Review Article

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation: The Past, Present, and Future Considerations

1   Department of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
,
2   Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3   Department of Medicine, Cardiometabolic Programme—NIHR UCLH/UCL BRC, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
,
4   Department of Haematology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom
,
5   Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
› Author Affiliations
Funding This work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid for Scientific Research C Grant Number JP22K09191.

Abstract

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been understood as a consumptive coagulopathy. However, impaired hemostasis is a component of DIC that occurs in a progressive manner. The critical concept of DIC is systemic activation of coagulation with vascular endothelial damage. DIC is the dynamic coagulation/fibrinolysis disorder that can proceed from compensated to decompensated phases, and is not simply impaired hemostasis, a misunderstanding that continues to evoke confusion among clinicians. DIC is a critical step of disease progression that is important to monitor over time. Impaired microcirculation and subsequent organ failure due to pathologic microthrombi formation are the pathophysiologies in sepsis-associated DIC. Impaired hemostasis due to coagulation factor depletion from hemodilution, shock, and hyperfibrinolysis occurs in trauma-associated DIC. Overt-DIC diagnostic criteria have been used clinically for more than 20 years but may not be adequate to detect the compensated phase of DIC, and due to different underlying causes, there is no “one-size-fits-all criteria.” Individualized criteria for heterogeneous conditions continue to be proposed to facilitate the diagnosis. We believe that future research will provide therapeutics using new diagnostic criteria. Finally, DIC is also classified as either acute or chronic, and acute DIC results from progressive coagulation activation over a short time and requires urgent management. In this review, we examine the advances in research for DIC.



Publication History

Article published online:
13 September 2022

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