[Coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)].

Eighty six plasma samples from 41 patients with suspected disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were divided into 3 groups as follows: Group A, 53 samples from established DIC; Group B, 19 samples from possible DIC; and Group C, 14 samples from probable DIC. The following parameters of coagulation and fibrinolysis were evaluated: thrombin/antithrombin III complex (TAT), plasmin/alpha 2 plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC), D-dimer (D-D) and fibrin monomer (FM). In Group A, TAT and PIC were significantly elevated, being 29.5 +/- 20.7 micrograms/l and 7.2 +/- 6.1 mg/l respectively, suggesting marked hypercoagulability and accelerated fibrinolysis. There were no correlations between antithrombin III (ATIII) and TAT, between alpha 2 plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2PI) and PIC, or between TAT and PIC, showing the clinical diversity of patients with DIC. In all groups abnormal TAT, PIC and D-D findings were observed in many samples (86-100%), and FM was present in 83%, 63%, and 29% of samples in Groups A, B, and C respectively. In Groups B and C, abnormal findings for TAT, PIC, D-D, FM and alpha 2PI apparently indicated hypercoagulability and accelerated fibrinolysis, even though fibrinogen and platelet count were within normal limits.