About this topic
Your blood is made up of three kinds of cells. White blood cells fight germs and illnesses. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and make the blood red. Platelets help the body fight bleeding. ‚
Disseminated intravascular coagulation is also known as DIC. It is an illness where you bleed too easily, the blood clots too easily, or both. DIC can happen either very slowly or very quickly. It can happen in both men and women and at any age. It is most often brought about by other illnesses in the body. It may happen after being pregnant or if you have cancer or a bad infection. ‚
When you have this illness, your blood may form blood clots even when not needed. These blood clots stick to blood vessels. These sticky blood clots may cut off the blood supply to an organ. This may cause a lot of serious health problems. By the time healthy clotting is needed because of an injury or bleeding, your body will have a hard time because many of the clotting parts have already been used. ‚
Doctors find this illness by doing a blood test. Treatment may focus on treating the cause of DIC. It is important to control bleeding and clotting problems when treating DIC. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- After a blood transfusion, keep the puncture site clean and dry for 24 hours.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your condition needs close monitoring. Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Prevent clotting
- Fight an infection
- Thin your blood
- Treat other problems that may have caused DIC
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Blood clots
- Low blood pressure
- Stroke
- Bluish fingers, hands, and feet leading to gangrene
- Problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, or liver
- Death
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- If you have illnesses that are known to cause DIC, go to the doctor right away.
- Treat the underlying cause. Follow your doctors orders on how to do this.
When do I need to call the doctor?
Activate the emergency medical system right away if you have signs of a heart attack or stroke. Call 911 in the United States or Canada. The sooner treatment begins, the better your chances for recovery. Call for emergency help right away if you have: ‚
- Signs of heart attack:
- Chest pain
- Trouble breathing
- Fast heartbeat
- Feeling dizzy
- Signs of stroke:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Call your doctor if you have: ‚
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, wound that will not heal.
- Bleeding that wont stop
- Small red, brown, or purple spots on your skin
- Too much bruising
- Blood in your urine or stool
- Upset stomach and throwing up
- Loss of consciousness
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
- Remind your doctors that you are on blood thinners during visits. This may keep you from bleeding too much when in surgery or with a procedure.
- Ask your doctor before taking any over-the-counter drugs. They can interact with the blood thinners you are taking and may cause a lot of problems.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have signs of a heart attack or stroke.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have bleeding that will not stop, too much bruising, or blood in my urine or stool.
Where can I learn more?
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ‚
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/dic/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚