Disseminated intravascular coagulation in a patient with congestive heart failure
- Lucía Romero-Acevedo 1
- Rosa Ros-Vilamajó 1
- Selena Gala Aguilera-García 1
- Rubén Hernández-Luis 1
- María Monereo-Muñoz 1
- Geraldine Quintero-Platt 1
- Emilio González-Reimers 1
- 1 Hospital Universitario de Canarias (España)
ISSN: 1697-5529
Year of publication: 2015
Issue: 11
Pages: 46-48
Type: Article
More publications in: Majorensis: Revista Electrónica de Ciencia y Tecnología
Abstract
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a syndrome characterized by generalized excessive activation of coagulation pathways followed by their consumption, with activation of anticoagulation and fibrinolysis. It is a common syndrome associated with systemic inflammatory conditions. Its development in the context of severe heart failure has been scarcely reported . We here report the case of an 80-year-old man, previously diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, was admitted with severe congestive heart failure and cardiac cachexia. In this context he developed disseminated intravascular coagulation. Laboratory alterations followed a course parallel to the clinical features of heart failure decompensation. No other cause for DIC was identified, so it is assumed that it developed in relation with marked impairment of organ perfusion. This case shows the association between congestive heart failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation. To our knowledge, only 7 similar cases have been reported.