Long-term treatment with low molecular weight heparin, of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation

• Published in: Anales de medicina interna (Madrid, Spain : 1984) Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 191 - 194
• Main Authors: García Fernández, J R, López Berenguel, F, Ais, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.04.2003
• Subjects: Aged; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - drug therapy; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - etiology; Blood Coagulation Tests; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - complications; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - drug therapy; Drug Hypersensitivity; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0212-7199

The term "disseminated intravascular coagulation" (DIC) defined a pathologic process which complicates the clinical course of many diseases; it is characterized by huge amounts of thrombin and plasmin within the circulation. There are a lot of causes of these intermediary mechanism of disease, among these, infections and neoplasia are the most frequent. Aortic aneurysm is a vascular disease than can be complicated with DIC. We report a case of a patient affected of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation complicated with systemic hemorrhagic syndrome, of vascular origin (an aortic aneurysm). It was treated with a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), but in the presence of an allergy disorder the drug was discontinued and substituted by another LMWH. The hemorrhagic complications were treated with antifibrinolytics associated to the LMWH. The drug was held up 30 months with an acceptable performance status and no significant secondary effects except osteoporosis.