Which laboratory result is expected in a client diagnosed with DIC?

In a client diagnosed with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a low fibrinogen level is expected due to the consumption of clotting factors. DIC is characterized by intense coagulation activation leading to the formation of small blood clots throughout the body's small blood vessels. This process consumes clotting factors, including fibrinogen, resulting in decreased levels.

As the disease progresses, the fibrinogen is utilized up faster than the liver can produce it, which is why testing would reveal low fibrinogen levels. This is a critical finding in diagnosing DIC and is indicative of the process of coagulation dysfunction occurring in the body.

Other laboratory findings often associated with DIC include elevated prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), low platelet counts, and the presence of fibrin degradation products. The increased use of platelets during the coagulation process explains why the platelet count is often low, not increased. Likewise, while a white blood cell count may be elevated due to stress or infection, it is not a defining hallmark of DIC itself. Thus, a low fibrinogen level is the most telling laboratory result in this condition.