Disorders of Haemostasis Flashcards
What causes bleeding?
Abnormalities of vasculature (could be due to connective tissue disorders or structural disorders)
Defects of primary haemostasis (platelet disorders)
Defects of secondary haemostasis (procoagulant protein deficiency)
Accelerated breakdown of clot (aka hyperfibrinolysis)
What does it mean to say quantitatiive defects of hamoestasis?
Not enough platelelets produced to produce platelet plug
What are some possible abnormalities in haemostasis?
Quantitative (not enough platelets to form platelet plug)
Qualitative defects
Both
What is the normal concentration of platelets in the blood?
150 - 400 x 10^9/L
When do issues arise with low platelet count?
20 - 50 x 10^9/L (bruising and surgical bleeding)
10 - 20 x 10^9 (nosebleeds and petechial rash)
<10 x 10^9/L (spontaneous serious bleeding)
What should be noted regarding platelet count?
Some people could be taking anti-platelet drugs due to their excessive coagulation ability.
What causes thrombocytopenia?
Congenital (inherited)
Acquired (impaired production at the bone marrow, hypersplenism, increased platelet destruction, and drug-induced)
What conditions can cause impaired bone marrow production of thromboyctes?
Myelodysplasia
Leukemia
Bone Marrow infiltration
What can cause increased platelet destruction?
Severe sepsis/DIC
TTP/HUS syndrome (fragmentation of blood cells and thrombocytes)
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Autoimmune conditions
Viral infections (HIV, hepatitis, H.pylori)
Pre-eclampsia
What drugs can reduce platelet count?
Heparin
Gold
Quinine
What is hypersplenism and how does it cause low platelet count?
Larger spleen resulting in more storage of thrombocytes at the spleen
What must be ensured with isolated thrombocytopenia conditions?
That the low platelet count is not caused by something else
What causes immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura?
It is spontaneous and results in increased platelet destruction due to B cells producing IgG antibodies targeting the megakaryocytes
What do the IgG antibodies do to platelet production at the bone marrow?
They cause it to be stopped
How does immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) present itself?
Children present with severe thrombocytopenia a few weeks after viral infection.
Adults present with more gradual onset and recovery. They can be treated with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, splenectomy, etc
What can activated GPIIb/IIIa bind?
fibrinogen
How can NSAIDs or other drugs like aspirin cause disorders in haemostasis?
They can reduce the action of cyclooxygenase which results in TXA2 deficiency and in turn inhibits platelet aggregation response
Name some inherited bleeding disorders:
Von-Willebrand’s disease
Haemophilia
Name some acquired bleeding disorders:
Liver disease
Vitamin K deficiency
Renal disease
Warfarin
What factors are deficient in haemophilia?
factor 8 and factor 9
When and how is haemmophilia typically diagnosed?
As infants diagnosed with severe bleeding under the skin.
Spontaneous haemarthrosis (bleeding into joints), muscle haematomas (due to bleeding into muscles), intracranial haemorrhage and internal bleeding
What is haemophilia A caused by?
Factor 8 (FVIII) deficiency
What is haemophilia B caused by?
Factor 9 (FIX) deficiency
What is another name for haemophilia B?
Christmas disease
Is bleeding in haemophilia A and B the same?
Yes, very similar
What kind of genetic inheritance does haemophilia follow?
X-linked recessive making it more likely in males
How is haemophilia diagnosed?
Most important clinical test is clinical history (i.e personal bleeding history, family history, and drugs)
Lab screening test (APTT would be extra long in haemophilia patients because factor 8 and 9 are in the intrinsic pathway)
An 18 month old boy with a short history of a painful swollen left knee. His blood was found to have a normal prothrombin time (PT) but an abnormally long APTT (93 seconds) and his factor VIII levels were <1% what is the diagnosis?
Haemophilia A
How is haemophilia managed?
Recombinant FVIII for procedures or treatment of bleeds. This is administered prior to procedures which can cause bleeding and as prophylaxis for newly diagnosed childred.
In the past they used blood donors to get FVIII which resulted in many people acquiring HIV and HepC.
In Australia all patients given the recombinant treatment.
What do patients with haemophilia have which details their diagnosis?
A haemophiliac card
What are the common differences between platelet defects and clotting factor deficiencies?
In platelet defects:
There is excessive bleeding after minor cuts which is not usual in clotting factor deficiencies
Petechiae are common (very uncommon in clotting factor deficiencies)
Ecchymoses are small and superficial in platelet defects and may be large and in soft tissues in clotting factor deficiencies
Haemarthroses are uncommon in platelet defects and common in clotting factor deficiencies
Bleeding with invasive procedures is immediate in platelet deficiencies and is delayed in clotting factor defects
Platelet conditions cause mucocutaneous bleeding whereas clotting factor deficiencies cause deep tissue bleeding
Do people with platelet defects bleed severely after minor cuts?
Yes
Do people with clotting factor deficiencies bleed severely after minor cuts?
Not usual
Which patients have petechiae typically; platelet defect patients or clotting factor deficient patients?
Platelet defect patients
Which factor is a carrying factor of factor 8?
Von-Willebrand factor
How is Von-Willebrand’s disease inherited?
Autosomal dominant condition found in 1% of the population
What are the types of VWD?
Type 1 (decreased quantity of VWF)
Type 2 (Decreased function of VWF)
Type 3 (rare, severe deficiency of VWF due to inheriting 2 mutated genes 1 from each parent)