Diagnosis and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation in COVID-19 patients: a scoping review

BACKGROUND: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is noted in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recently, a number of studies evaluating the diagnosis and treatment of DIC in COVID-19 patients have been reported. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify existing gaps where further research is needed on the diagnosis and treatment of DIC complicated by COVID-19. METHODS: We used the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, WHO-ICTRP, ClinicalTrial.gov and PROSPERO were searched from their inception to 6 October 2020. RESULTS: Seven studies were selected; five were already published and two are ongoing. DIC was diagnosed using the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) DIC score (n = 4) and the sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) DIC score (n = 5). Seven studies examined the effectiveness of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH); of these, four studies used a prophylactic dose and five used a therapeutic dose of LMWH. A prophylactic dose of unfractionated heparin (UFH) was investigated in two studies. CONCLUSION: Studies on DIC diagnostic criteria and anticoagulants were limited to the ISTH or SIC scores and heparinoids, particularly LMWH. Further studies are needed to compare these with other available DIC scoring systems and anticoagulants.