Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)

Brain Or Crush Injuries

An individual who has experienced brain or crush injuries is at an increased risk of developing disseminated intravascular coagulation. This is due to the association between it and severe trauma. Brain injuries that occur due to trauma and crush injuries can induce this condition through a combination of different mechanisms. Crush injuries are known to cause a mass rupture of thousands of cells simultaneously upon bodily impact. This cause of cellular apoptosis induces the bulk release of tissue materials such as phospholipids and tissue factor into the patient's systemic circulation. 

Crush injuries also cause a large volume of hemolysis (red blood cell destruction) on top of extensive damage to the blood vessel walls. Combining these mechanisms is thought to induce the coagulation cascade's reactive activation in multiple systems in the body. Individuals who suffer from brain or crush injuries involving trauma have almost identical sequencing of system-wide inflammatory cytokines as patients affected by a septic infection of the blood. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact processes of disseminated intravascular coagulation development in every brain and crush injury patient. However, the release of materials, extensive damage, and actions of a mass cytokine influx are thought to play critical roles.