(Multiple organ failure) MOF or (Disseminated intravascular coagulation) DIC often becomes a fatal complication for the patients suffering from endotoxin shock. And it is also pointed out that MOF and DIC share many common or simiar clinical features. To clarify the relationship between these two, we surveyed the changes in haematological indices of organ failure patient.
DIC was complicated in 10 of 14 patients with endotoxin shock and 9 of these were victimized. In the latter 9 cases, failure of more than three organs occured concomitantly. DIC observed in patients with organ failure is as follows: 10 in 13 cases of lung failure, 3 in 5 cases of heart failure, 10 in 12 cases of renal failure, 3 in 5 cases of liver failure and 3 in 4 cases of gastro-intestinal bleeding. Both organ failure and DIC usually began at the lung in endotoxin shock patients. From the viewpoint of haematology, hypercoagulable tendency preceded the lung failure. For example, decrease in antithrombin III and plasminogen level was observed prior to that in platelet.
In endotoxin shock patients, MOF and DIC have close relationship, which suggests that hypercoagulable state induced by endotoxin triggers an organ failure and results in MOF through chain reactions.
