Minidose heparin therapy. Treatment of chronic intravascular coagulation syndrome.

An elderly patient had multiple life-threatening episodes of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). There was no apparent cause other than an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Her condition was maintained with minidoses of subcutaneously administered heparin sodium in the acute stages and as an outpatient for seven months, which proved to be an effective therapy. We suggest that minidoses of heparin can be used in the treatment of DIC and that this is a safe, easily administered mode of therapy, especially in the outpatient setting.