The underlying cause must be treated initially. Anticoagulants are only given when indicated (development of thrombotic renal complications) as patients with DIC are prone to bleeding. Platelets may be transfused if counts are very low, and fresh frozen plasma may be administered. DIC results in lower fibrinogen (as it has all been converted to fibrin), and this can be tested for in the hospital lab. A more specific test is for "fibrin split products" (FSPs) or "fibrin degradation products" (FDPs) which are produced when fibrin undergoes degradation when blood clots are dissolved by fibrinolysis. In some situations, infusion with antithrombin may be necessary. A new development is drotrecogin alfa (Xigris®), a recombinant activated protein C product. Activated Protein C (APC) deactivates clotting factors V and VIII, and the presumed mechanism of action of drotrecogin is the cessation of the<unk><unk> . Due to its high cost, it is only used strictly on indication in intensive care patients. The prognosis for those with DIC, depending on its cause, is often grim, leading the initials to be known colloquially as "death is coming"
Disseminated intravascular coagulation medical therapy
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia medical therapy
Antithrombin III deficiency medical therapy
Thrombocytopenia medical therapy
Von Willebrand disease medical therapy
Glanzmann's thrombasthenia medical therapy
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura medical therapy
Antiphospholipid syndrome medical therapy