acute

Disseminated intravascular coagulation

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a condition in which blood clots form throughout the body, blocking small blood . Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, leg pain, problems speaking, or problems moving parts of the body. As clotting factors and are used up, bleeding may occur. This may include blood in the urine, blood in the stool, or bleeding into the skin. may include organ failure.

Underlined words are explained — tap any of them.

Symptoms — what it feels like

·Chest pain, shortness of breath, leg pain, problems speaking, problems moving part of the body, bleeding

Causes — why it happens

·, , major , cancer, of pregnancy, snake bites, frostbite, burns

How it's found

·Blood tests

Treatment

·Directed at the underlying condition

Complications

·Organ failure

Outlook

·20–50% risk of death

More in Blood

Iron-deficiency anaemia Thalassaemia Sickle cell disease Leukaemia Lymphoma Haemophilia G6PD deficiency Aplastic anaemia Immune thrombocytopenia Multiple myeloma Von Willebrand disease Vitamin B12 deficiency

See all of Blood →

Plain-language summary adapted from Wikipedia. Not medical advice.