Which factor is associated with the initial events leading to DIC in obstetric complications?

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can occur as a severe complication in obstetric cases, particularly associated with conditions that lead to significant tissue damage or hypoxia. The retained products of conception can initiate a cascade of inflammatory and thrombotic events that contribute to DIC. When placental tissue remains in the uterus after delivery, it can lead to the release of thromboplastic materials into the maternal circulation. These materials activate the coagulation pathway, promoting widespread activation of coagulation and subsequently leading to DIC.

In the context of obstetric complications, conditions such as pre-eclampsia and placenta previa can also contribute to DIC, but they do so through different mechanisms that may not initially trigger the coagulopathic process as directly as retained products of conception. Hyperemesis gravidarum, while it poses risks during pregnancy, is not typically associated with the inflammatory and coagulopathic processes that lead to DIC. Thus, retained products of conception represent a direct cause that can lead to the initial events triggering DIC in this obstetric context.