1973 Volume 14 Issue 12 Pages 1182-1188
A 45 years old man with acute ulcerative colitis received subtotal colectomy for the treatment of the massive colon bleeding. Postoperatively continuous intraabdominal oozing and oliguria developed. Two weeks later, the patient expired by acute renal failure, lung edema and hemorrhage from the remnant rectum, despite the reexploration of abdomen to control oozing in retroperitoneum, massive fresh blood transfusion and Trasylol administration. Autopsy revealed the presence of widespread fibrin microthrombi in kidney, lung, liver, spleen and colon. Blood coagulation studies showed marked decrease of antithrombin III, transient decrease of α2-macroglobulin and α1-antitrypsin in immediate postoperative period suggesting that these studies may give an early warning for the development of DIC. The pathogenesis and the treatment of DIC are also discussed.
