Autopsy study of patients dying of bleeding diathesis

Ten thousand & thirty seven autopsies performed from the year 1982 to 1992 were studied retrospectively, to find out the number of deaths due to bleeding diathesis. Eighty-seven (0.87%) patients died due to bleeding diathesis, out of which haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) was seen in 9 cases (10.34%), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in 67 cases (77.01%) & 11 cases were grouped as miscellaneous. Martius scarlet blue stain was carried out to demonstrate fibrin & depending on the number of thrombi in the glomerulus & blood vessels, the lesions were graded as mild, moderate or severe. Kidney was the most common organ involved in all groups of bleeding diathesis. In DIC kidney & lung involvement was almost equal.