A nurse is teaching a client who has septic shock about the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

Choice A rationale Disseminated intravascular coagulation is not a genetic disorder, nor is it primarily caused by a deficiency in vitamin K. Instead, it is an acquired syndrome characterized by systemic activation of the coagulation cascade, usually secondary to severe underlying conditions like sepsis, trauma, or malignancy. While vitamin K is essential for the synthesis of certain clotting factors, its deficiency is a separate clinical entity and does not represent the complex pathophysiology of DIC seen in shock. Choice B rationale In the setting of disseminated intravascular coagulation, the platelet count is significantly decreased, not elevated. The normal platelet range is 150,000 to 400,000/mm. During DIC, platelets are rapidly consumed as widespread microvascular clots form throughout the body. This consumption leads to profound thrombocytopenia, which paradoxically increases the risk of severe bleeding elsewhere. An elevated platelet count, or thrombocytosis, is not a feature of this condition and would contradict the diagnostic criteria. Choice C rationale DIC involves the paradoxical and pathological activation of the clotting cascade, where fibrinogen is excessively converted into fibrin throughout the systemic circulation. This process uses up the body's supply of fibrinogen, which normally ranges from 200 to 400 mg/dL. As fibrinogen levels drop due to this abnormal consumption, the blood loses its ability to form stable clots at sites of actual injury, resulting in the simultaneous occurrence of widespread microclotting and life-threatening systemic hemorrhage. Choice D rationale Heparin is sometimes used in specific phases of DIC to slow the consumption of clotting factors, but it is not a lifelong treatment. DIC is an acute, life-threatening complication of another primary illness, such as septic shock. Management focuses on treating the underlying cause, providing blood products like fresh frozen plasma or cryoprecipitate, and stabilizing the patient's hemodynamics. Once the triggering event is resolved, the DIC process typically halts, making long-term or lifelong anticoagulation therapy unnecessary.