What is disseminated intravascular coagulation?
Diseminated intravascular coagulation is a very serious health condition that is characterized by the formation of small blood clots in the vascular system, a 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 at first glance may seem a bit idiosyncratic, since the condition causes blood clots. The exact cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation is unknown and is extremely difficult to treat; Some doctors suggest that the abbreviation of the condition, dic, means "death".
The body vascular system is maintained in a state of fine balance. The body wants to maintain free blood flow to transfer nutrients all over the body, but also wants to freely avoid bleeding every time the tissues are injured. As a result, the body uses clotting of substances, blood compounds that are activated in the presence of tissue damage to the clot, thereby stopping bleeding. Diseminated intravascular coagulation is caused outside the control factory, which cause the whole body to form small clots than just at the point of injury.
As one can imagine, these clots can prevent circulation, causing necrosis because the tissue loses access to vital nutrients. It can also cause bleeding because the body generates anticoagulants to break the clots and how the clotting is exhausted. A patient with disseminated intravascular coagulation can begin to bleed and be able to stop, and this may be particularly serious when internal bleeding is because medical staff may not be aware of the problem immediately.
The condition is associated with several diseases, especially in extreme patients, such as in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Stress can also activate the clotting factors. Diseminated intravascular coagulation is diagnosed with the help of blood tests that are analyzed to count plates and factorsclotting. When the patient represents excessive bleeding and he or she is threatened by the spread of intravascular coagulation, doctors are trying to act quickly.
The treatment of this condition is very difficult. The use of anticoagulant drugs can be useful, but it can also be very dangerous because it can cause bleeding from which the patient cannot recover. Patients may also receive transfusions of platelets and several other drugs can be used depending on the patient's case. However, the forecast for disseminated intravascular coagulation is not good, even with the best medical care.