Question 1

What is Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)?

Accepted Answer

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is a life-threatening blood disorder where the clotting system becomes overactive, causing widespread clots in small blood vessels throughout the body while simultaneously depleting clotting factors and leading to severe bleeding. It is caused by conditions that trigger excessive thrombin production, such as sepsis, severe trauma, cancer, or complications during childbirth. The Fibrinogen Activity test is the most important test for DIC diagnosis because it measures the critical clotting protein that becomes severely depleted during this condition.

Question 2

What causes DIC?

Accepted Answer

DIC is caused by conditions that trigger uncontrolled activation of the blood clotting system, leading to excessive thrombin production throughout the body. The most common triggers include severe infections like sepsis (especially from bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus), major trauma or burns, complications during pregnancy such as placental abruption or amniotic fluid embolism, certain cancers (particularly leukemia and adenocarcinomas), and severe tissue injury. These underlying conditions release substances into the bloodstream that activate the coagulation cascade excessively, causing the body to form tiny blood clots in small vessels while simultaneously using up all available clotting factors and platelets, which then leads to dangerous bleeding.

Question 3

What is the best test for DIC?

Accepted Answer

The Fibrinogen Activity test is the most important test for DIC because it directly measures the functional level of fibrinogen, the critical clotting protein that becomes severely depleted during this condition. In DIC, fibrinogen is consumed rapidly as the body forms widespread clots, and dangerously low levels are a hallmark diagnostic finding. However, DIC diagnosis requires a panel of coagulation tests working together. The Prothrombin Time (PT/INR) and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) tests are essential because they show prolonged clotting times when clotting factors are depleted. Additional tests like Protein C Activity and Antithrombin III Antigen reveal decreased levels of natural anticoagulants, while Prothrombin (Factor II) and Fibrinogen Antigen tests confirm the consumption of specific clotting components. Your doctor will interpret these results together to confirm DIC and determine its severity.

Question 4

When should I get tested for DIC?

Accepted Answer

You should get tested for DIC immediately if you have an underlying serious condition like sepsis, severe infection, major trauma, or pregnancy complications and begin experiencing unusual bleeding or bruising. Warning signs include bleeding from multiple sites such as IV insertion points, surgical wounds, or the gums, unexplained bruising appearing across your body, blood in your urine or stool, or tiny red or purple spots on your skin called petechiae. You may also notice symptoms of blood clots like chest pain, shortness of breath, leg pain or swelling, or confusion. DIC is a medical emergency that develops rapidly in critically ill patients, so testing should occur urgently in hospital settings when doctors suspect this life-threatening complication.

Question 5

What are the symptoms of DIC?

Accepted Answer

DIC symptoms reflect both excessive clotting and severe bleeding occurring simultaneously in the body. Bleeding symptoms include oozing from IV sites, surgical wounds, or mucous membranes, easy bruising, nosebleeds, blood in urine or stool, and petechiae (tiny red spots on the skin). Clotting symptoms include shortness of breath from pulmonary embolism, chest pain, confusion or stroke symptoms from brain clots, kidney failure, and painful swelling in the limbs. Many patients also experience low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and signs of organ damage as small clots block blood flow to vital organs. The presentation varies depending on whether the bleeding or clotting component is more dominant, but most patients show signs of both processes.

Question 6

Who is at risk for DIC?

Accepted Answer

People at highest risk for DIC include those with severe bacterial or fungal infections (sepsis), patients who have experienced major trauma, severe burns, or extensive surgery, pregnant women with complications like placental abruption or retained dead fetus, and individuals with certain cancers, especially acute leukemia and metastatic adenocarcinomas. Other at-risk groups include patients with severe liver disease, those who have received massive blood transfusions, people with severe allergic reactions or heat stroke, and newborns with serious complications like respiratory distress syndrome or severe infections. Essentially, any condition that can massively activate the clotting system or release tissue factor into the bloodstream can trigger DIC in susceptible individuals.

Question 7

What happens if DIC is left untreated?

Accepted Answer

Untreated DIC is rapidly fatal due to uncontrollable bleeding, organ failure from widespread clotting, or both occurring simultaneously. As clotting factors and platelets become depleted, patients develop severe hemorrhaging that cannot be stopped, leading to life-threatening blood loss from multiple sites. At the same time, tiny clots throughout the body block blood flow to vital organs, causing kidney failure, liver damage, lung injury, brain damage from stroke, and heart problems. The mortality rate for severe DIC is extremely high, with death often occurring within hours to days without aggressive treatment. Even with treatment, DIC carries a poor prognosis, which is why immediate medical intervention in an intensive care setting is absolutely critical for survival.

Question 8

Can DIC be diagnosed with a blood test?

Accepted Answer

Yes, DIC is diagnosed primarily through a combination of specialized blood tests that reveal characteristic patterns of coagulation system dysfunction. The diagnosis requires multiple abnormal results showing depleted clotting factors, prolonged clotting times, and decreased natural anticoagulants. Key tests include Fibrinogen Activity (severely decreased), PT/INR and PTT (both prolonged), Protein C Activity (decreased), Antithrombin III Antigen (low), and specific clotting factor tests like Prothrombin (Factor II). Doctors also look at platelet counts (typically very low) and D-dimer levels (markedly elevated, indicating breakdown of blood clots). No single test confirms DIC; rather, your healthcare team interprets the pattern of results alongside your clinical symptoms and underlying condition to make the diagnosis.

Question 9

How is DIC treated?

Accepted Answer

DIC treatment focuses on aggressively addressing the underlying cause while supporting the body with blood products to replace depleted clotting factors. The primary treatment is treating the triggering condition, whether that means antibiotics for sepsis, delivery of the baby in pregnancy complications, or chemotherapy for cancer-related DIC. Patients receive transfusions of fresh frozen plasma to replace clotting factors, platelet transfusions to restore platelet counts, and cryoprecipitate to provide concentrated fibrinogen. In some cases, doctors may use heparin to reduce clot formation, though this is controversial and reserved for specific situations. Treatment occurs in intensive care units with continuous monitoring, and the prognosis depends heavily on how quickly the underlying cause can be controlled and how severely the organs have been damaged.

Question 10

How can I prevent DIC?

Accepted Answer

DIC prevention focuses on promptly treating conditions that can trigger it and careful monitoring of high-risk patients. If you have an infection, seek immediate medical care to prevent it from progressing to sepsis, which is a major DIC trigger. Pregnant women should attend all prenatal appointments to identify and manage complications early. Patients undergoing major surgery or trauma care receive close monitoring for early signs of DIC so treatment can begin immediately. In hospital settings, healthcare teams use prophylactic measures like infection control, careful blood transfusion practices, and monitoring coagulation studies in high-risk patients. While DIC itself cannot always be prevented, recognizing and aggressively treating its underlying causes significantly reduces the risk of this life-threatening complication developing.

Question 11

What can I do at home for DIC?

Accepted Answer

DIC is a medical emergency that cannot be managed at home and requires immediate hospitalization in an intensive care unit. There are no home remedies or at-home treatments for this condition because it involves life-threatening bleeding and clotting that requires urgent medical intervention, continuous monitoring, and specialized treatments like blood product transfusions. If you or someone you know shows signs of DIC, such as bleeding from multiple sites, unexplained bruising, difficulty breathing, or confusion, call emergency services immediately. After recovery from DIC in a hospital setting, home care focuses on following your doctor's instructions for treating the underlying condition that triggered the DIC, attending all follow-up appointments, and watching for any signs of recurrence that would require immediate return to the emergency department.

Question 12

How’s this work?

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

How do I know which test to get?

Accepted Answer

In the test options, find the test you want.
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            Just text or call us at 754-799-7833, email us at support@privatemdlabs.com, and we'll gladly help you. We've got your back and reply quickly.

Question 14

When will my lab results be available?

Accepted Answer

Most test results will be available within 1–3 business days. Once they're ready, we'll send an email and text message to let you know.
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Question 15

Is it possible to make changes to my lab order if I made a mistake with the name, date of birth, or any other details?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We totally understand that errors can happen. No worries, we're here to help you.
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            Our lab requires an address to be listed to generate an order.

Question 16

Do you accept health insurance?

Accepted Answer

Only HSA & FSA is accepted.
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Question 17

Can I cancel my order?

Accepted Answer

Yes.
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Question 18

How can I find a lab location near me?

Accepted Answer

During the ordering process, you’ll be able to select a specific lab near you, with no strings attached!
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DIC Blood Clotting Disorder Blood Test

What is Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)?

What causes DIC?

What is the best test for DIC?

When should I get tested for DIC?

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