Modifications for use in Pregnancy
Introduction:
DIC is a recognised cause of maternal mortality and a modification of the ISTH DIC Scoring algorithm was developed for use in pregnancy. The modifications are necessary due to the changes in haemostasis that occur in normal pregnancy. The use of three components of the ISTH DIC score - Platelet count, Fibrinogen and differences in PT [compared to a normal laboratory control] allowed the development of an algorithm with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 96% for the diagnosis of DIC. D-dimers were excluded as the levels rise in pregnancy and substantially after 20 weeks in pregnancy.