Blood coagulation, Haemostasis, and its Investigation Flashcards
Haemostasis - define
Protective process evolved in order to maintain a stable physiology
“An explosive reaction designed to curtail blood loss, restore vascular integrity and ultimately preserve life”
The Horseshoe Crab - define
Limulus Polyphemus
‘A primitive coagulation pathway can be initiated by endotoxin’
The Haemolymph contains what
The Haemolymph contains amebocytes:
Proteins of the coagulation system
Proteins & peptides of the immune system
Haemostasis - life preserving processes = describe
Life preserving processes designed to maintain blood flow
Respond to tissue injury
Curtail blood loss
Restore vascular integrity & promote healing
Limit infection
Haemostasis - 4 components
Four Key Components Endothelium Coagulation Platelets Fibrinolysis
What makes a Blood Clot?
Fibrin mesh
Platelets
Red blood cells
Coagulation - decribe process briefly
Vessel damage
& Blood loss
Vascular spasm
Platelet Plug forms
Coagulation
Primary haemostasis - description
Primary haemostasis:
Vasoconstriction (immediate)
Platelet adhesion (within seconds)
Platelet aggregation and contraction (within minutes)
Secondary haemostasis - description
Secondary haemostasis:
Activation of coagulation factors (within seconds)
Formation of fibrin (within minutes)
Fibrinolysis - description
Fibrinolysis:
Activation of fibrinolysis (within minutes)
Lysis of the plug (within hours)
Clot strength in terms of stages
Initiation = slow rise ~ 0
Amplification = rapid increase
Stable clot = strongest
Lysis = steady decrease to 0
Characteristic of heamostasis at rest
Haemostasis at rest: triggers and cofactors separated
vWF function under shear forces
Under shear forces, self-association of plasma VWF occurs surface of platelets + endothelial cells = creating fibrillar structures that further facilitate platelet adhesion
Platelet aggregation function
Prevents excessive blood loss at site of injury
When does seconday haemostasis take place
This plug of activated platelets, localised to the site of injury, provides the phospholipid surface upon which Secondary Haemostasis takes place
When does primary haemostasis take place
Primary hemostasis = when platelets attach to damaged endothelium, adhesion allows the platelets to undergo a shape change = aggregation
Once adhered to each other a temporary platelet plug is created
Brief process of haemostatic plug formation
Vessel constriction
Formation of an unstable platelet plug
platelet adhesion
platelet aggregation
(above is primary haemostasis)
Stabilisation of the plug with fibrin blood coagulation (secondary)
Dissolution of clot and vessel repair fibrinolysis
Fibrin mesh function
Fibrin mesh binds and stabilises platelet plug and other cells
Fibrinogen (I) function
Forms clot (fibrin)
Prothrombin (II) function
Its active form (IIa) activates I, V, VII, XIII, protein C, platelets
Tissue factor (III) function
Co-factor of VIIa
V (proaccelerin, labile factor)
function
Co-factor of X with which it forms the prothrombinase complex
VI function
Unassigned - old name of Factor Va
VII (stable factor) function
Activates IX, X
VIII (antihaemophilic factor)
function
Co-factor of IX with which it forms the tenase complex