What Is Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)?

Medically Reviewed by Sanjay Ponkshe on February 24, 2024
Written by Alyssa Anderson
4 min read

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a condition that affects your blood’s clotting abilities. It can either set in slowly or happen very suddenly under particular conditions. It’s also known as consumption coagulopathy. 

Disseminated intravascular coagulation has two main stages. In the first stage, your body starts to develop a lot of small blood clots throughout your bloodstream. These clots rapidly use up the cells and proteins—called platelets and clotting factors—that you need in order to stop bleeding.

The second stage comes when you start to bleed uncontrollably because you have used up all of your body's clotting abilities. This stage can be very dangerous and needs to be treated immediately. 

DIC never happens on its own. It’s always a secondary complication of some other condition or a sign that another condition is getting worse.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation happens in 1% of all hospitalized patients. Bleeding from three unrelated sites at one time could be a sign of DIC.  

Since disseminated intravascular coagulation always happens because of an underlying condition or complication, the exact cause depends on that condition. 

In general, the onset of symptoms is due to some kind of foreign particle getting into your bloodstream. There are a number of reasons why this could happen. 

In cases of acute—or rapidly occurring—DIC, possible causes include: 

  • Infection. Sepsis is the most common infection where you could also develop DIC. 
  • Complications from surgery. Shock—severely low blood pressure—is one of the biggest of these complications.
  • Complications from childbirth. These include placental abruption—when your placenta separates from your uterus—and the amniotic fluid embolizes (when amniotic fluid goes into your blood). 
  • Head injuries.
  • Severe tissue damage.
  • Bites from some poisonous snakes.
  • Complications that create a lot of inflammation.

In cases of chronic—or slowly occurring—DIC, possible causes include:  

  • Cancer. Certain cancers produce clotting factors that enter your bloodstream and start the first stage of DIC. 
  • Aneurysms.
  • Cavernous hemangiomas. These are collections of dilated blood cells. 

The exact symptoms that you experience from disseminated intravascular coagulation depend on whether or not it’s acute or chronic.

In cases of acute DIC, symptoms include:

  • Uncontrollable and dangerous bleeding at the site of surgery or birth or in your brain, digestive tract, skin, muscles, or body cavities
  • Bruises
  • Throwing up
  • Blood in your stool

The main symptom of chronic DIC isn’t uncontrollable bleeding. Instead, the most dangerous symptoms are the complications that can happen in the blood clotting stage. These include: 

  • Organ failure—when the clot blocks blood flow to a particular organ
  • Strokes—when the clot blocks blood flow to your brain
  • Heart attacks—when the clot blocks blood flow to your heart
  • Deep vein thromboembolism — when the clots form in your limbs and cause painful swelling 
  • Shortness of breath—from clots getting into your lungs

There’s also a chance that you won’t have any symptoms from chronic DIC.

Other signs and symptoms that could indicate either type of DIC include: 

  • Blood in your urine
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion 
  • Low blood pressure
  • An unusually heavy period

In most cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation, your doctor will need to treat your underlying condition. 

There are other methods that your doctor may need to use to treat your symptoms from DIC. These include:  

  • Plasma transfusions. This is necessary if you have lost too much blood. It helps restore your number of clotting factors and stop excessive bleeding. 
  • Platelet transfusions. You may need this if you have lost too much blood and need to restore your supply of these cells.
  • Clotting factor replacement. Extra clotting factors are added to your blood to stop any excessive bleeding. 
  • Oxygen therapy. You may need this if any of your organs have been cut off from their regular blood supply because of a clot. This should keep your organ from failing. 
  • Anticoagulation medicines and blood thinners. Heparin is an example of a medication that your doctor could prescribe to stop harmful blood clots from forming. 

Some cases of acute DIC need to be treated as emergency conditions or you will lose too much blood. This could cause permanent damage or even death. Most of the time, a medical team will already be nearby when acute DIC begins because it’s most common during surgeries and while you are giving birth. 

Once you are discharged from the hospital, your doctor will make a plan to regularly follow up with you. This will help them to monitor the progress of your underlying condition and any of the complications caused by your case of DIC. 

There are also ongoing clinical trials for DIC. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these are right for you.