Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was considered to be a fatal disease. However, it has recently been suggested that very early DIC protects the host against microthrombosis and infection localization. Therefore, early treatment of DIC may be contraindicated in patients with sepsis. These factors suggest that the diagnosis and treatment of DIC will gain further importance. The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG2016), which include details regarding the management of DIC, have been recently published. Differences in recommendations for DIC treatment, such as antithrombin and recombinant human thrombomodulin, between J-SSCG2016 and other guidelines, including the Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (JSTH), British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCST), Italian Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis (SISET), and International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) have been discussed. Furthermore, differences in the diagnostic criteria for DIC between the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, ISTH overt, ISTH non-overt, Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, and JSTH have been discussed.
Keywords: Diagnosis; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Guideline; Treatment.