ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a distinct clinical syndrome, characterized by widespread activation of the coagulation cascade, leading to intravascular formation of fibrin and thrombotic occlusion of small and medium-sized vessels; in parallel, consumption and depletion of platelets and coagulation proteins, coupled with activation of the fibrinolytic system, may result in severe bleeding (Figure 18.1).1 In most obstetric patients, as in many other cases, the bleeding manifestations predominate.2,3
The most common clinical condition associated with DIC is infection, most commonly Gram-negative or Gram-positive sepsis.1,3,4
Figure 18.1 Pathophysiology of pregnancy-associated DIC.
