Disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation is the result of a severe underlying disorder that initiates massive activation of the coagulation system. It is always a symptom of the underlying disorder. These disorders may be as varied as meningococcemia and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a clinical diagnosis. Once the clinical impression has been considered, a small number of readily available tests will substantiate the diagnosis. Further testing is probably not necessary and certainly not cost-effective. Therapy for disseminated intravascular coagulation requires 1) the correction of the underlying problem, either by drainage of an abscess for sepsis, evacuation of the uterus in an obstetric catastrophe, or treatment of septicemia with antibiotics; and 2) the concomitant restoration of the circulatory system, perfusion, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance. Other forms of therapy are available but are quite secondary to these two. Success depends on the ability to recognize and correct the cause.