DIC: a complicated syndrome

Disseminated Intra-Vascular Coagulation (DIC) is an acquired syndrome resulting in an excessive systemic activation of coagulation.
This leads to consumption coagulopathy involving excessive formation of thrombin and fibrin and excessive consumption of platelets, coagulation factors and inhibitory systems.

This process can lead to the formation of disseminated thromboses (microvascular thrombi) with haemorrhagic signs, potentially leading to organ failure with risk of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

DIC is not an illness on its own but rather a complication or an effect of progression of other illnesses.
The principal causes of DIC are:

• Sepsis and septic shock
• Obstetrical complications
• Malignant tumors
• Intoxication (poisons, drugs,…)
• Tissue injuries (polytraumas, extensive burns…)
• Severe liver failure
• Immunological disorders

DIC diagnosis

ISTH has proposed a scoring system based on laboratory tests for overt and non-overt DIC diagnosis.

The scoring for DIC adds a better prognostic value for patient mortality than the use of clinical scores alone.

The haemostasis tests to perform are the platelets count, the Quick time, the fibrinogen level and a fibrin-related marker level (soluble fibrin, fibrin degradation products).

A notation is attributed to each test result (between 0 and 3). The sum corresponds to the DIC score.

The STA®-Liatest® FM advantages

• Accurate and quantitative result
• High specificity by using monoclonal antibodies against fibrin monomers
• Fully automated test and easy to use
• Diagnosis of strong DIC thanks to a wide linear working range: 5 to 150 µg/mL
• Ready-to-use reagents and buffers

Presentation of the test

  *Note: Not available in all countries. In the USA this product is classified as "For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures"