Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occured during severe infections with: gram-negative bacteria (24 cases), gram-positive bacteria (3 cases), acute hemolysis (11 cases), pneumonias with hypoxic syndrome (16 cases). Adjuvant factors: Hypo-volaemia and metabolic acidosis (34 cases), malnutrition and hypoproteinaemia (32 cases). 38 patients were boys. Early clinical symptoms: alteration of the general state, impossibility of blood collectings because of hypercoagulability, bleeding after injections, haematemesis, melena, purpura, renal failure. Rapid laboratory diagnosis: ethanol test, paracoagulation with protamine sulphate, decrease of thrombocytes number, thrombin clotting time. The most important differential diagnosis is hypoprothrombinaenra by vit. K deficiency or by liver failure which could also complicate DIC (6 cases). During “critical” periods of diseases usually complicated by DIC the DIC prophylaxis is proposed (heparin 100–200 i.u./kg/day i.v. + dipyridamole 5 mg/kg/day i.v. or orally. The treatment of DIC: heparin 1000 i.u./kg/day i.v. or, in order to decrease the risk of secondary bleedings because of heparin an association: heparin 400 i.u./kg day i.v. + dipyridamole 5—10 mg/kg/day i.v. or orally.
