Intravascular coagulation in relation to pregnancy and delivery

Incidence, risk factors and morphological features of the intravascular coagulation (IC) in 160 women who had died during pregnancy, after abortion and delivery were studied. IC was established in 118 (73.8%) of them. The main risk factors leading to IC were shock (59.3%), sepsis (28.8%), toxemia of pregnancy (incl. eclampsia) (25.4%), Caesarean section (19.5%), fetal death in utero (12.7%), amniotic fluid embolism (9.3%), and abruptio placentae (7.6%). Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was established in 66% of the cases, and local intravascular coagulation (univisceral localisation of microthrombi) in 28%. In the resting 6% of the cases there was consumptive coagulopathy without microthrombi. Lungs, pituitary gland, uterus, kidneys and adrenals were the most frequently affected organs. Necrosis in the parenchymal organs, hyaline membrane formation in the lungs and consumptive coagulopathy were particularly frequent in the cases with DIC. The leading causes of death were acute renal failure and ARDS. It was established that prolonged intensive care including artificial ventilation, massive blood transfusion, as well as surgical treatment, aggravate the course and morphological features of IC.