What are clotting disorders?
Normally the body forms a blood clot to stop bleeding. For this to happen, the body needs platelets and proteins called clotting factors. If the patient has a clotting disorder, it means that he or she does not have enough clotting factors or that the clotting factors are not working properly.
Clotting disorders are often the result of other diseases, but they can also be hereditary or be a side effect of certain medications. Typically, clotting disorders include:
- Acquired platelet function defects.
- Congenital platelet function defects
- Congenital protein C or S deficiency
- DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation)
- Coagulation factor II deficiency
- Coagulation factor V deficiency
- Coagulation factor VII deficiency
- Coagulation factor X deficiency
- Coagulation factor XII deficiency
- Glanzmann’s disease
- Hemophilia type A
- Hemophilia B
- Hemophilia type C (factor XI deficiency)
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Von Willebrand’s disease (types I, II and III)
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of bleeding disorders will depend on the bleeding disorder itself and the severity of the case. They usually include:
- Bleeding into joints and muscles
- Bruising that appears easily
- Heavy bleeding
- Heavy bleeding during menstruation
- Nosebleeds that cannot be stopped
- Excessive bleeding during operations
- Bleeding in the umbilical cord after childbirth
Causes of clotting disorders or why they occur
Normal blood clotting involves platelets and up to 20 different plasma proteins, which are the clotting factors. These interact with other chemicals to form fibrin, a substance that stops bleeding. When some clotting factors are missing or low, problems can occur, preventing proper tamponade of bleeding.
Some of the clotting disorders have an inherited cause, but others can develop from:
- Diseases such as vitamin K deficiency
- Severe liver disease
- Treatments using anticoagulant medications
- Long-term use of antibiotics
Can they be prevented?
Prevention depends on the specific coagulation disorder. The Hematology expert will be in charge of the previous study and diagnosis, in order to see if it can be prevented.
What does the treatment consist of?
Although treatment depends on the type of clotting disorder, it may include:
- Replenishment of the deficient clotting factor.
- Fresh frozen plasma transfusion
- Platelet transfusion