Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - Diagnosis - Diagnosis

To help diagnose DIC, your doctor will ask about any medical conditions or recent events, such as illness or an injury, that could cause or be a risk factor for DIC. Your doctor will do a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of blood clots, bleeding, or a condition that could cause DIC or a complication of DIC.

If your doctor suspects DIC, the following blood tests may help diagnose it:

• Blood clotting tests, such as prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT), to measure how well and how long it takes your blood to clot. If you have DIC, your clotting time may be longer than normal.
• Complete blood count (CBC) to measure the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. If you have DIC, the numbers of platelets, red cells, or both may be low.
• Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) to measure your kidney function, liver function, and the sugar and electrolyte levels in your blood. Abnormal results could indicate that DIC caused damage to your kidneys or liver or could identify another underlying condition that caused your DIC.
• D-dimer tests to look for blood clots. The test measures D-dimer, a substance that is released in the blood when blood clots dissolve. D-dimer levels may be high if you have DIC.
• Peripheral blood smear to look at the number, size, and shape of your platelets and other blood cells. In a peripheral blood smear, a small amount of your blood is examined under a microscope. The presence of damaged red blood cells may suggest DIC.
• Serum fibrinogen tests to measure how much fibrinogen is in your blood. Fibrinogen is a protein that helps the blood clot and may be low if you have DIC.

Your doctor may use a scoring system to diagnose DIC. The score is based on your platelet count, PT, D-dimer test, and fibrinogen levels. The higher the score, the more likely it is that you have DIC. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may repeat some tests and monitor your condition over time.

Your doctor may suggest additional tests or procedures to find out whether another condition is causing your symptoms. These tests may include:

• ADAMTS13 testing to check blood levels and activity of this protein, which is low in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a type of platelet disorder
• Liver biopsy and liver function tests to check for cirrhosis or chronic liver disease, which may have signs and symptoms that are similar to DIC

• Return to Risk Factors to review how infection, injury, lifestyle, or other medical conditions may increase your risk of developing DIC.
• Return to Signs, Symptoms, and Complications to review common signs and symptoms of DIC.