Marcadores de coagulação intravascular disseminada em pacientes graves internados em unidade de terapia intensiva

Abstract

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a syndrome caused by systemic activation of clotting factors and it is frequently associated with several diseases such as sepsis, trauma, shock, cancer, and immune and vascular disorders. Sepsis is the main clinical condition associated to DIC. In some cases, the clinical outcome is very fast and severe, and an early management establishes a better outcome. Using a score suggested by the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis to perform a DIC diagnosis, we were able to evaluate the frequency of its occurrence in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. The serum concentrations of coagulation and fibrinolysis markers within the first 72 hours of admission and the role of these markers as early predictors in the development of DIC were retrospectively estimated. Fifty clinical and surgical patients presenting sepsis, shock, and multiple traumas were included in the study. Of the 50 patients examined, 10 (20%) developed DIC within the first 48 hours of ICU admission. The logistic regression analysis showed that the decreased antithrombin level (p = 0.0355) on admission are predictive of DIC development. This result may have a relevant involvement in clinical outcome because the early intervention can change the DIC prognosis.