1b Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis?
the cellular and biological processes that enable both the specific and regulated cessation of bleeding in response to vascular insult
What is haemostasis for?
Prevention of blood loss from intact vessels
Arrest bleeding from injured vessels
Enable tissue repair
What is the response to injury to endothelial cell lining?
Vessel constriction - vascular smooth muscle cells contract locally which limits blood flow to the injured vessel
What does primary haemostasis involve?
Formation of an unstable platelet plug - platelet adhesion and platelet aggregation
What is the purpose of primary haemostasis?
Limits blood loss and provides a surface for coagulation
How do platelets bind directly to the exposed collagen?
The platelets bind to the GpIa receptor = binds directly to the exposed collage
How do platelets bind to Von Willebrand Factor?
Using the GpIb receptor
What happens to the platelets after they bind and adhere to the endothelial lining?
Release of their granular contents = ADP and thromboxane A2 from arachidonic acid
How do platelets aggregate with each other in primary haemostasis?
Using the GpIIb / IIIa receptor following activation
What happens in secondary haemostasis?
Stabilisation of the plug with fibrin
blood coagulation
What is the purpose of secondary haemostasis?
Stops blood loss
What happens during fibrinolysis?
Vessel repair and dissolution of clot
Cell migration/proliferation & fibrinolysis
What is the purpose of fibrinolysis?
Restores vessel integrity
What term is used to describe low platelet numbers?
Thrombocytopenia
What are some causes of thrombocytopenia?
Bone marrow failure eg: leukaemia, B12 deficiency
Accelerated clearance eg: immune (ITP), Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
Pooling and destruction in an enlarged spleen
What is ITP?
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Describe how ITP occurs?
- Antiplatelet autoantibodies bind to the sensitized platelet
- The sensitized platelets are then cleared by macrophages in the spleen
What is a very common cause of thrombocytopenia?
ITP
Describe how the function of platelets might be impaired?
Hereditary absence of glycoproteins or storage granules
What causes of Glanzmann’s syndrome?
Absence of GPIIb / IIIa
What causes Bernard Soulier Syndrome
Absence of GPIb
What causes storage pool disease?
reduction in the dense granules of platelets
Which drugs might cause an acquired impairment to the function of platelets?
Aspirin, NSAID’s, Clopidogrel
What are the two common antiplatelet drugs?
Aspirin and Clopidogrel
How does aspirin work?
irreversibly blocks cyclo-oxygenase meaning Thromboxane A2 cannot be produced
Why does aspirin not affect prostacyclin synthetase?
Because it can be further generated by the endothelial cells
How does clopidogrel work?
Ireversibly blocks the ADP receptor on platelets - P2Y12 on cell membrane
What are the two functions of Von Willebrand Factor in primary haemostasis?
Binding to collagen and capturing platelets
Stabilising factor VIII (8)
What is the usual inheritance pattern of VWD?
Hereditary = autosomal inheritance pattern
- Deficiency of VWF
- VWF with abnormal function
What are the inherited conditions of primary haemostasis related to the vessel wall?
Connective tissue disorders
What are the acquire disorders of primary haemostasis related to the vessel wall?
Steroid therapy causes atrophy of the collage fibres which support the blood vessels
Ageing = senile purpura
Vasculitis
Scurvy
What is VWD?
Failure of primary haemostasis
Hereditary decrease of quantity +/ function (common)
Acquired due to antibody (rare)
What is a key sign of thrombocytopenia?
Petechiae - small red dots on the skin which are less than 3mm in size
What causes petechiae and purpura?
Bleeding underneath the skin
What is the difference between petechiae and purpura
Petechiae = < 3mm and Blanch when pressure is applied
Purpura = 3-10mm and do not blanch when pressure is applied
What conditions result in purpura on the skin?
Platelet (thrombocytopenic purpura) or vascular disorders
What are the typical bleeding features of primary haemostasis?
Immediate bleeding
Prolonged bleeding from cuts
Nose / gum / Heavy menstrual bleeding
Prolonged bleeding after trauma / surgery
Bruising
What is the medical term for nose bleeds?
Epistaxis
What is the medical term for heavy menstrual bleeding?
Menorrhagia
What type of bleeding is seen in Severe VWD?
Haemophillia like bleeding - around joints due to low FVIII
What are the visible clinical features of primary haemostasis?
Petechiae
Purpura
Ecchymosis
Senile Purpura
Increased Skin Elasticity
What would a coagulation screen (APPT and PT) show in a disorder of primary haemostasis?
Would be normal
What tests are done for disorders of primary haemostasis?
Platelet count
Bleeding time
VWF assays
Clinical Observations
What range of platelet count would result in no spontaneous bleeding but bleeding with trauma?
40-100 x 10^9 / L
What range of platelet count would result in spontaneous bleeding?
10-40 x 10^9 / L