Which of the following blood components can be expected to increase with disseminated intravascular coagulation?
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC or consumptive coagulopathy) represents pathologic activation of the coagulation system by another underlying disease, with consequent consumption and depletion of the cellular and humoral components of the coagulation cascade. The fibrinolytic mechanisms are also activated, and an uncontrolled cycle of bleeding and clotting develops. The essentials of diagnosis include underlying serious illness, hypofibrinogenemia, thrombocytopenia, fibrin degradation products, and prolonged prothrombin time. As a consequence, levels of all clotting proteins (choices A and C) become depleted, platelet counts drop (choice E), and the fibrinolytic proteins are depleted also (choice D). Fibrin degradation products (choice B), which are normally low in the serum, increase markedly because of increased fibrinolysis seen in this disease; identification of these proteins can be an important indicator of DIC.
Factor V
Fibrin degradation products
Fibrinogen
Plasminogen