Treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

The treatment of DIC is extremely complex, stemming from the fact that it complicates many different disorders and may have a variety of clinical manifestations. In addition, there continues to be a lack of well-controlled studies regarding various methods of management in relatively homogeneous groups of patients. Therefore treatment continues to be controversial and probably will remain so in the near future. However, it is clear that any careful clinical and laboratory observations in groups of patients with the same underlying disorder are extremely helpful in elucidating the natural history of the process, in determining its effect on the patient, and clarifying whether certain therapeutic interventions may be helpful. Therefore the continued accumulation of careful clinical studies will help in determining the proper management of DIC in patients with the same underlying disorder and in given individual situations.