Conclusion: Liver failure is associated with a DIC that can cause a severe bleeding tendency. It's due to the action of an unknown coagulant that escapes from the gut and is no longer detoxified by the absent (post hepatectomy) or severely diseased liver (as in advanced liver cirrhosis). Presumptive causes for the active, gut derived coagulants, are thrombin, trypsin, thromboplastin or endotoxin, either singly or in combination.
This lead to an investigation into the nature and specificity of the liver's mop-up operations that was reported in the following study:
This lead to an investigation into the nature and specificity of the liver's mop-up operations that was reported in the following study: