DIC
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Disseminated intravascular coagulation |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Military |
DIC has two meanings. It stands for Disseminated intravascular coagulation (hematology and oncology) or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (veteran).
Meanings of DIC at a glance
| # | DIC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disseminated intravascular coagulation | Medical › Hematology and Oncology |
| 2 | Dependency and Indemnity Compensation | Military › Veteran |
1. Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Medical · Hematology and Oncology Abbreviations
Widespread activation of clotting throughout the body that consumes platelets and clotting factors, causing both small-vessel clots and bleeding from many sites. It is triggered by sepsis, major trauma, obstetric emergencies, acute promyelocytic leukemia and advanced cancer.
Example: Septic shock with oozing from line sites: platelets 34, INR 2.4, fibrinogen 90, D-dimer markedly elevated: DIC.
Laboratory clues are falling platelets, prolonged PT, low fibrinogen and high D-dimer; the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) score of 5 or more indicates overt DIC. Treatment centers on reversing the underlying cause, with platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate for bleeding. Chronic, low-grade DIC in cancer more often causes clotting than bleeding.
2. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
Military · Veteran Abbreviations
Tax-free monthly VA payment to surviving spouses, children and in some cases parents of service members who died in the line of duty or veterans whose deaths resulted from service-connected conditions.
Example: After her husband's death from service-connected cancer, she began receiving DIC.
Survivors of veterans rated totally disabled for a set period before death may also qualify. DIC rates are adjusted with annual cost-of-living increases. It interacts with the military's Survivor Benefit Plan, though the offset between them has been eliminated.
Related abbreviations
More hematology and oncology abbreviations
- CTLA-4 – Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4
- CUP – Cancer of unknown primary
- DCIS – Ductal carcinoma in situ
- DFS – Disease-free survival
- DLBCL – Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- dMMR – Mismatch repair deficient
- EBRT – External beam radiation therapy
- ECOG – Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
See all 144 hematology and oncology abbreviations →
More veteran abbreviations
- CRSC – Combat-Related Special Compensation
- DAV – Disabled American Veterans
- DD-214 – Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty
- DD-215 – Correction to DD Form 214
- GI Bill – Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 and successor education programs
- HLR – Higher-Level Review
- IAVA – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
- ITF – Intent to File
See all 53 veteran abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.