There are cases of massive acute bleeding during surgical procedures,labours and injuries which are used to be labeled as coagulopathy and this label is not right.The common case is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).The authors describe the most frequent causes of acute secondary bleeding:extensive trauma,dilution coagulopathy,DIC,iatrogenic intervention and their possible relationships.The author presents laboratory tests and their validity in the diagnosis of bleeding,shows clinical and laboratory signs of common types of bleeding and emphasizes early differential diagnosis.

        Key words: surgical procedures –coagulopathy –laboratory tests