mortality significantly.
Bleeding was frequent in DIC patients. The most common site was gastrointestinal bleeding which was in the upper tract more than the lower tract. We detected bleeding early in ICU patient with NG tube. Bleeding from endotracheal tube might be late but the mortality rate was not different from patients with other bleeding sites. Thrombosis was seen in fewer cases. Thrombosis in DIC patients occurred more common in the microvascular circulation and manifested as organ failure rather than signs of thrombosis in major blood vessels. Treatment of DIC varied depending on the clinician’s decision and the patient’s conditions. Patients who received blood products seemed to fare better. The median survival of DIC patients was 12 days. Patients with overt DIC had shorter median survival than patients with non-overt DIC. Patients with acute renal failure and patients with shock had worse survival. Early diagnosis and treatment might improve the prognosis of these patients.
In summary, the mortality rate of patients with DIC was high, particularly those admitted in the ICU. Sepsis was the most common etiology of DIC. It is useful to establish standard guideline for early diagnosis and treatment of DIC. The limitation of this study is that it is a retrospective study. Further prospective study to see whether restoration of coagulation and physiological anticoagulant pathways will improve the prognosis of patients with DIC is warranted.