When a patient has life-threatening bleeding from DIC, which of the following are treatment options for the patient?

Choice A rationale Platelets are essential for the formation of a primary hemostatic plug at the site of vascular injury. In disseminated intravascular coagulation, there is an initial period of massive clotting that consumes all available platelets. Replacing them is critical to stop the subsequent life-threatening bleeding phase. A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter. In severe DIC, the count often drops below 50,000, necessitating urgent transfusion to maintain vascular integrity. Choice B rationale Packed red blood cells are administered to restore oxygen-carrying capacity in patients experiencing severe hemorrhage. Bleeding in DIC can lead to rapid anemia and tissue hypoxia. By providing concentrated hemoglobin, the nurse helps maintain cellular metabolism during a crisis. Normal hemoglobin levels are 12 to 16 grams per deciliter for women and 14 to 18 for men. Transfusion is usually indicated when hemoglobin falls below 7 or 8 grams per deciliter in acute bleeding. Choice C rationale Cryoprecipitate is a concentrated source of fibrinogen, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor. These proteins are depleted during the consumption phase of DIC. Fibrinogen is necessary for the final step of the coagulation cascade to form a stable clot. A normal fibrinogen level is 200 to 400 mg per deciliter. When levels fall below 100 mg per deciliter in a bleeding patient, cryoprecipitate is used to rapidly replenish these essential clotting factors. Choice D rationale Fresh frozen plasma contains all the coagulation factors found in human blood. It is used in DIC to correct a prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time caused by the depletion of clotting proteins. FFP provides the biochemical environment necessary for the blood to clot correctly again. Normal PT is 11 to 13.5 seconds, while normal aPTT is 30 to 40 seconds. FFP is vital when these values are significantly elevated due to consumption.