Successful treatment of sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura using recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin

Rheumatol Int. 2011 Dec;31(12):1657-9. doi: 10.1007/s00296-010-1754-1. Epub 2011 Jan 15.

Abstract

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may complicate a variety of disorders that contribute to mortality, particularly those related to bleeding. It is therefore very difficult to manage DIC in patients with known bleeding disorders. We treated a 62-year-old woman with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) complicated with sepsis-induced DIC. She had been diagnosed with ITP 8 months prior to admission. Laboratory tests showed an elevation of d-dimer and endotoxin, while pyelonephritis was shown by abdominal computed tomography. Escherichia coli was detected by blood culture. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with sepsis-induced DIC due to urinary tract infection. Thrombocytopenia was refractory despite the use of antibiotics and platelet transfusion, but it was promptly improved in response to recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM). We suggest that rTM provides a new therapeutic strategy for DIC patients with high hemorrhagic risk.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / blood
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / drug therapy*
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / etiology*
  • Endotoxins / blood
  • Escherichia coli Infections / blood
  • Escherichia coli Infections / diagnosis
  • Escherichia coli Infections / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / analysis
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / blood
  • Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / drug therapy*
  • Pyelonephritis / diagnostic imaging
  • Radiography
  • Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use*
  • Sepsis / blood
  • Sepsis / complications*
  • Thrombomodulin / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Endotoxins
  • Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • THBD protein, human
  • Thrombomodulin
  • fibrin fragment D
  • endotoxin, Escherichia coli