12 Thrombosis Flashcards
Q: What’s the positive and negative possibilities of the haemostatic system?
A: will stop you bleeding to death but may kill you with thrombosis (powerful system)
Q: What’s normal haemostasis described as? Draw diagram. What are the factors involved? (4)
A: state of equilibrium
between:
fibrinolytic factors, anticoagulant proteins
= prevent clotting prematurely/ innappropriately
coagulation factors, platelets
= cause clotting
Q: How does the balance of haemostasis change in relation to bleeding? More of? (2) Less of? (2)
A: arrow of diagram pointing to 10 o clock
bleeding could be caused by
- more fibrinolytic factors, anticoagulant proteins
- less coagulation factors, platelets
Q: What are the characteristics of abnormal bleeding? (4) Why do you need to be careful when diagnosing? Solution?
A: -spontaneous esp in severe hereditary blood disorders eg haemophilia
- Out of proportion to the trauma/injury
- Unduly prolonged= doesn’t stop
- Restarts after appearing to stop
there are some common indications such as easy bruising but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have abnormal bleeding
-use history when diagnosing
Q: What would be included to constitute significant bleeding? (history) (6)
A: Epistaxis/nosebleed not stopped by 10 mins compression or requiring medical attention/transfusion
Cutaneous haemorrhage or bruising without apparent trauma (esp. multiple/large)
Prolonged (>15 mins) bleeding from trivial wounds, or in oral cavity or recurring spontaneously in 7 days after wound
Spontaneous GI bleeding= leading to anaemia which allows it to be spotted
Menorrhagia requiring treatment or leading to anaemia, not due to structural lesions of the uterus
Heavy, prolonged or recurrent bleeding after surgery or dental extractions
Q: Outline the haemostatic mechanism. Name and describe the 4 steps and include the result of each.
A: (Response to injury to endothelial cell lining)
- Vessel constriction
- Vascular smooth muscle cells contract locally
- Limits blood flow to injured vessel - primary haemostasis= Formation of an unstable platelet plug (primary haemostatic plug)
- platelet adhesion
- platelet aggregation
- Limits blood loss + provides surface for coagulation - secondary haemostasis= coagulation system = Stabilisation of the plug with fibrin
- Stops blood loss - Vessel repair and dissolution of clot
- Cell migration/proliferation and fibrinolysis
- Restores vessel integrity
Q: What are the 3 types of defects of primary haemostasis? Common examples (3,1,3).
A: (platelet plug formation)
deficiency/defective
- Collagen - vessel wall -> hereditary/ difficulty making it
- > steroid therapy
- > age
- > scurvey - Von Willebrand factor
- > von willebrand disease (genetic deficiency)= failure of primary haemostasis - Platelets
- > may not make enough eg bone marrow problems
- > use them up too quickly eg immune destruction = Thromobocytopenia
- > may stop them working properly via aspirin / ibuprofen
Q: Outline the process of primary haemostasis. (5) What can cause this process to fail? Describe.
A: 1. vessel wall damage
2. blood is exposed to 2 things that it isn’t normally exposed to
-collagen= triggers primary haemostasis
-tissue factor= triggers secondary haemostasis
=> both trigger haemostasis
3. von willebrand factor circulating in blood binds to collagen and unravels
4. vWF binds to platelets
5. forms primary platelet plug
Von Willebrand Disease= no vWF so platelet plug doesn’t form
- majority of platelets continue to flow past
- very few with bind directly to collagen
Q: What are the clinical signs of defects of primary haemostasis- pattern of bleeding? (7) Give a typical symptom. Typical of?
A: - Immediate
- Easy bruising
- Nosebleeds (prolonged: >20 mins)
- Gum bleeding (prolonged)
- Menorrhagia (anaemia)
- Bleeding after trauma/surgery
- Petechiae (specific for thrombocytopenia)
Petechiae (small (1–2 mm) red or purple spot on the skin) – typical of thrombocytopenia
Q: What’s the key output of the blood coagulation system? What’s its role? End result?
A: thrombin (factor IIa)
process= amplification cascade to make more thrombin
thrombin has to convert fibrinogen to fibrin
Fibrin mesh binds and stabilises platelet plug and other cells -> fibrin is needed to bind together and secure in vivo a solid plug
Q: What does haemophilia A mean? Result? (2) How does it vary in different sized vessels?
A: no FVIII - get inadequate thrombin generation
- primary haemostasis is okay
- BUT can’t make mesh to stabilise it
small: it’s okay- can make a small plug
normal: plug falls apart
larger: will bleed
Q: What does it mean to have defects in secondary haemostasis? (2) Common examples? (5)
A: -Deficiency or defect of coagulation factors
-Poor thrombin burst, poor fibrin mesh
Genetic:
- Haemophilia: FVIII or FIX deficiency
Acquired:
- Liver disease (most coagulation factors are made in the liver)
- Drugs (warfarin – inhibits synthesis, other block function)
- Dilution (results from volume replacement): often as a result og giving saline and RBC etc without plasma after resuscitation from major haemorrhage
- Consumption (DIC= disseminated intravascular coagulation) (acquired)
Q: What is DIC? (2) Cause? (2) Associated with? (3) What does it involve? (2) Consequences? (2)
A: type of acquired coagulation disorder
-disseminated intravascular coagulation
get expression of tissue factor inside blood on monocytes/ neutrophils (maybe endothelial cells)= Generalised activation of coagulation inside circuation
- Associated with (pathological situations) sepsis (bacteriaemia), major tissue damage, inflammation
- Consumes and depletes coagulation factors and platelets
- Activation of fibrinolysis depletes fibrinogen
Consequences
- Widespread bleeding, from iv lines, bruising
- Deposition of fibrin in vessels causes organ failure
Q: What are the clinical signs of defects of secondary haemostasis- pattern of bleeding?
A: - Often delayed (after primary haemostasis) -> Prolonged
- Deeper: joints and muscles
- Not from small cuts (primary haemostasis ok) = normal bleeding time
- Nosebleeds rare
- Bleeding after trauma/surgery
- After i/m injections
- bleeding often stops to begin with-> get break down and bleed again (on and off)
Q: What is ecchymosis? What is haemarthrosis?
A: Easy bruising
-Virtually all bleeding disorders
- hallmark of haemophilia - bleeding into joint spaces