Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2025
Measurement of Factor V Activity in Human Plasma Using a Microplate Coagulation Assay
Published on: September 9, 2012
Proposal of Quick Diagnostic Criteria for Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Hideo Wada1, Akitaka Yamamoto2, Masaki Tomida2
1Department of General and Laboratory Medicine, Mie Prefectural General Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0885, Japan.
Insights
A new quick scoring system for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) aids critical care. This simple tool uses platelet counts, PT-INR, and D-dimer to rapidly diagnose DIC and pre-DIC in critically ill patients.
Area of Science:
- Critical care medicine
- Hematology
- Diagnostic biomarkers
Background:
- Current diagnostic criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are complex and vary.
- There is a need for simple, rapid diagnostic methods for DIC in critical care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a quick scoring system for the diagnosis of DIC and pre-DIC.
- To identify optimal cut-off values for key biomarkers in critically ill patients.
Main Methods:
- Examined platelet counts, PT-INR, and D-dimer in 1293 critically ill patients.
- Determined optimal cut-off values for these biomarkers.
- Proposed and validated a quick DIC score using ROC analysis.
Main Results:
- Established cut-off values: PT-INR 1.20, platelet count 12.0 × 10^10/L, D-dimer 10.0 μg/mL.
- The quick DIC score effectively differentiated between DIC, pre-DIC, and non-DIC.
- Achieved high accuracy (AUC 0.997 for DIC vs. non-DIC) with the proposed scoring system.
Conclusions:
- The Quick DIC score system is a simple and effective tool for diagnosing DIC and pre-DIC.
- Further large-scale studies are needed to validate the quick DIC score system.
Background:
The diagnostic criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) vary and are complicated and the cut-off values are different. Simple and quick diagnostic criteria for DIC are required in physicians for critical care.
Material And Methods:
Platelet counts, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) and D-dimer levels were examined in 1293 critical ill patients. Adequate cut-off values of these parameters were determined and a quick DIC score using these biomarkers was proposed. The quick DIC score was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results:
Using the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare diagnostic criteria, 70 and 109 patients were diagnosed with DIC and pre-DIC, respectively. The ROC analysis of factors difference between DIC and non-DIC, revealed the following cut-off values: PT-INR, 1.20; platelet count, 12.0 × 1010/L and D-dimer, 10.0 μg/mL. Based on the above results, the quick DIC score system was proposed. All patients with DIC had a quick DIC score of 3, 4 or 5, and 85.3% of the patients with pre-DIC had a quick DIC score of ≥3 points. All patients with pre-DIC had a score of ≥2 points. In the ROC analysis, the area under the curve was 0.997 for DIC vs. non-DIC, and 0.984 for pre-DIC + DIC vs. non-DIC, and the cut-off value was 3 points for DIC and 2 points for DIC + pre-DIC. The quick DIC scores of non-survivors were significantly higher than those of survivors.
Conclusions:
The Quick DIC score system is a simple and useful tool that can be used for the diagnosis of DIC and pre-DIC. Further evaluation of the quick DIC score system in a large-scale study is required.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
01:29Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
01:09Coagulation
During the coagulation phase, clotting factors, or procoagulants, play a vital role in initiating and progressing the coagulation cascade. This cascade is a series of reactions...
01:20Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which...
01:29Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies