A 34-year-old woman, gravida 3 para 2, presents to the labor and delivery unit at 39 weeks of gestation in active labor. Her pregnancy has been complicated by mild polyhydramnios diagnosed at 32 weeks, but she has otherwise been healthy. She undergoes an uneventful induction of labor. However, during the second stage of labor, she suddenly becomes cyanotic and complains of severe shortness of breath. Within minutes, she loses consciousness and exhibits signs of cardiovascular collapse, including hypotension and tachycardia. The labor and delivery team initiates immediate resuscitative measures, including oxygen supplementation and intravenous fluid boluses. Despite these interventions, her blood pressure continues to drop, and she requires intubation for respiratory support. The fetal heart monitor shows bradycardia. Amniotic fluid embolism is suspected and an emergency cesarean section is performed within 15 minutes. The infant is delivered with an initial Apgar score of 2 but responds well to resuscitation and is transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for further monitoring. Meanwhile, the mother develops significant vaginal bleeding during surgery, requiring rapid transfusion of blood products. Laboratory results reveal evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Which laboratory finding is most consistent with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in amniotic fluid embolism?
