Disseminated intravasal coagulation

1. Big picture

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is not a primary disease. It is a severe acquired coagulation syndrome caused by another serious condition, classically sepsis, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), trauma, obstetric complications, malignancy, or massive hemolysis/transfusion reaction.

The examiner wants you to say:

DIC = systemic activation of coagulation → diffuse microthrombi → consumption of platelets and clotting factors → bleeding + organ dysfunction.

So DIC is paradoxical: the patient may clot and bleed at the same time.

Core pattern:

Trigger disease
↓
Systemic tissue factor / inflammatory activation
↓
Thrombin generation + fibri