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Suggest Treatment For Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Question: Hello,
I work in EMS and ran into a condition recently that I found fascinating and puzzling at the same time. The call was a hospital to hospice transport of a patient with acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation. My understanding was that the patient was effectively bleeding to death and no BLS bleeding control interventions would prevent it. I've started researching DIC since then and have found that in most cases the treatment is to treat the underlying cause and not the condition itself. My question is; if I were to run upon a patient with a history of DIC in the field, as oppose to an inter-facility transport, is there a better/more effective course of action than to place the patient in trend-allenburg and apply pressure dressing/TK and, as a physician, what information would you need or interventions would you hope to see from EMS before such a patient is turned over to your care?
Thanks for your time,
XXXX
I work in EMS and ran into a condition recently that I found fascinating and puzzling at the same time. The call was a hospital to hospice transport of a patient with acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation. My understanding was that the patient was effectively bleeding to death and no BLS bleeding control interventions would prevent it. I've started researching DIC since then and have found that in most cases the treatment is to treat the underlying cause and not the condition itself. My question is; if I were to run upon a patient with a history of DIC in the field, as oppose to an inter-facility transport, is there a better/more effective course of action than to place the patient in trend-allenburg and apply pressure dressing/TK and, as a physician, what information would you need or interventions would you hope to see from EMS before such a patient is turned over to your care?
Thanks for your time,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
4 units of FFP and 2 units of platelets
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Acute disseminated Intravascular is a medical emergency and treatment should be started at the earliest.
When you encounter such patients in EMS i would advise you to rapidly infuse 4 units of fresh frozen plasma and 2 adult doses of platelets immediately intravenously.
Following initial replacement therapy, laboratory tests should be repeated. Any further treatment is guided by both clinical and laboratory responses.
Regards
DR DE
4 units of FFP and 2 units of platelets
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Acute disseminated Intravascular is a medical emergency and treatment should be started at the earliest.
When you encounter such patients in EMS i would advise you to rapidly infuse 4 units of fresh frozen plasma and 2 adult doses of platelets immediately intravenously.
Following initial replacement therapy, laboratory tests should be repeated. Any further treatment is guided by both clinical and laboratory responses.
Regards
DR DE
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
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