In the present study soluble fibrin complexes and fibrin(ogen) degradation products are determined in patients with sepsis and liver-cirrhotic simultaneously by means of FM-Test, FDP-Kit and SCT in order to detect the different and early phases of disseminated intravascular coagulation. According to the possible configuration of test results 43 patients (sepsis n = 23, liver cirrhotic n = 20) could be grouped in 4 phases. The FDP-concentrations and the FM-Test-result appear to be independent from one another. A positive FM-Test was found at least once in 35% of patients with liver-cirrhotic and 26% of patients with sepsis. The correlation coefficient for the two FDP-Tests (FDP-Kit and SCT) was r = 0.97 (p < 0.001) for liver-cirrhotic and r = 0.98 (p < 0.001) for sepsis.