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Pulmonary embolus-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation
1Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
Critical Care Medicine
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Pulmonary embolism can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation, a serious bleeding disorder. This case highlights a severe presentation of this recently recognized association.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Hematology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a complex hemorrhagic disorder.
- Pulmonary embolism (PE) as a cause of DIC is a recently identified phenomenon.
- Previous reports of PE-associated DIC described minimal bleeding complications.
Observation:
- A patient presented with a pulmonary embolism.
- The patient developed life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- This case represents a severe manifestation of PE-induced DIC.
Findings:
- Pulmonary embolism was identified as the cause of disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- The patient experienced severe, life-threatening bleeding.
- This contrasts with prior literature suggesting minimal bleeding in similar cases.
Implications:
- Recognizing PE as a potential cause of severe DIC is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
- This case underscores the variability in clinical presentation of PE-associated DIC.
- Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms and optimize treatment strategies for PE-induced DIC.