Coagulation dysfunction in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not been well described, and the efficacy of anticoagulant therapy is unclear. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 75 fatal COVID-19 cases who were admitted to the intensive care unit at Jinyintan Hospital (Wuhan, China). The median age of the cases was 67 (62-74) years, and 47 (62.7%) were male. Fifty patients (66.7%) were diagnosed with disseminated intra-vascular coagulation. Approximately 90% of patients had elevated D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation products, which decreased continuously after anticoagulant treatment and was accompanied by elevated albumin (all P<0.05). The median survival time of patients treated with anticoagulant was 9.0 (6.0-14.0) days compared with 7.0 (3.0-10.0) days in patients without anticoagulant therapy (P=0.008). After anticoagulation treatment, C-reactive protein levels decreased (P=0.004), as did high-sensitivity troponin (P=0.018), lactate dehydrogenase (P<0.001), and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (P<0.001). In conclusion, coagulation disorders were widespread among fatal COVID-19 cases. Anticoagulant treatment partially improved hypercoagulability, prolonged median survival time, and may have postponed inflammatory processes and cardiac injury.