Abstract
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is first recognized as“the syndrome which associates with various basal diseases, and characterized by the intravascular activation of coagulation with loss of localization. It is initially detected only as a hematological disorder, but if it turns out sufficiently severe, can produce organ dysfunction and/or bleeding tendency caused by disseminated thrombus formation and consumptive coagulopathy”. In other words, the significance of DIC is the common category characterized by hematological disorder independent from the basal diseases. Numbers of researches have been performed and the detail of pathophysiology of DIC has been revealed that the pathological and clinical courses of DIC are different depending on the basal disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that the comprehensive diagnosis or treatment is not adequate. Even the importance of the individual measures depending on the individual backgrounds is emphasized. Especially, the treatment for septic DIC attracts much attention because of its high incidence, emergency and severity. With regard to the concept of DIC, it changes from the passive meaning“DIC is only a complication of sepsis”to positive meaning that“DIC is a protective reaction for the infection”. As for the diagnosis, it is generally accepted that early initiation by early diagnosis is preferable. Physiological anticoagulants including antithrombin, thrombomodulin and activated protein C are especially important as pharmaceuticals since they are expected to have not only the anti-coagulant effect but also the anti-inflammatory effect.
