Freshly frozen preserved plasma for the treatment of intravascular coagulation in polytraumatized patients

: Coagulation disorders in hemorrhagic shock need not represent an isolated intravascular coagulation. They may also occur as a complex of local disseminated intravascular consumption, extravascular consumption, dilution, and reduced synthesis of coagulation factors. In the severely bleeding patient with hemorrhagic diathesis heparin is contraindicated because it does not normalize coagulability. Therefore, it fails to stop hemorrhage and shock remains untreatable. Fresh frozen plasma, however, has proved to be suitable as simultaneous substitution therapy of coagulopathy and of hypovolemic shock. 11 patients suffering from traumatic-hemorrhagic shock associated with intravascular coagulation and hemorrhagic diathesis were successfully treated with fresh frozen plasma, after conventional shock therapy had failed over a period of hours.