Disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with multiple organ failure of non-septic origin

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and associated multi-organ failure are serious and often terminal events of a variety of non-septic conditions. For the most part, these conditions are a result of tissue factor (thromboplastin) release from damaged tissues creating situations that favor thrombin formation. Thrombin's role in this process is critical and serves to induce the coagulopathy, as well as many of the other aspects of inflammation that contribute to the associated morbidity and mortality. Clinical disorders giving rise to DIC fall into categories of trauma, obstetrical complications, malignancies and a variety of inflammatory conditions. Diagnostic patterns for these disorders are well established with an expected decrease in platelets and fibrinogen, as well as antithrombin III, in addition to elevated levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complex, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2, and D-dimer; all of which serve to identify the hypercoagulable state. Management of these coagulopathies requires attention to the bleeding diathesis and the ongoing thrombotic complication. Supportive therapy usually is required to provide hemostasis. However, control of the coagulopathy is of equal importance and requires not only early intervention, but also administration of sufficient antithrombotic agents to reduce thrombin's ability to consume coagulation factors, as well as to stimulate inflammatory processes. Heparin has been employed effectively in many of these situations, but suffers from its potential to induce hemorrhage. Antithrombin III concentrate, however, is devoid of this risk and provides a unique alternative that has had a limited, but effective record of benefits. Further proof of its efficacy in multi-organ failure disorders is awaited.