Haematopoietics Flashcards
what is a bleeding disorder?
an abnormal condition which allows blood to escape from injured vessels or interferes with haemostasis following injury
in which species are bleeding disorders more common?
dogs > cats
what are the 2 stages of haemostasis?
primary and secondary haemostasis
what occurs in primary haemostasis?
reflex constriction of the blood vessel and formation of a platelet plug
what occurs in secondary haemostasis?
stabilisation of the platelet plug by fibrin, which results from activation of the clotting cascade
do primary and secondary haemostasis occur at different times?
no - in life, both are triggered simultaneously
why are vessels prone to trauma?
they are fragile and thin to allow transfer in and out
how does the vessel endothelium react to vessel injury?
secretes activating factors and proteins in response to a gap having formed
what occurs as a result of secretion of activating factors by the endothelium?
activates platelets, which migrate to the site of injury
how does vessel diameter respond to injury?
vasconstriction to slow blood flow to the area
how do platelets arrange locally at the site of injury?
during activation, receptors on the inside of the platelets are flipped onto the surface to make the platelets ‘stickier’ - clump at the site of injury
how is von Willebrands factor involved in primary haemostasis?
sticks to the activated proteins on the activated platelet surfaces and increases their stickiness even more
what is the first clot formed during primary haemostasis called?
primary haemostatic plug
what is the primary haemostatic plug?
the first clot formed during primary haemostasis
what process makes the primary haemostatic platelet plug more likely to persist?
vasoconstriction - helps in stopping the flow of blood down the vessel, helps protect the plug and makes it more likely that the clot will stick
what is von Willebrands disease?
deficiency of von Willebrands factor
what breed commonly suffers from von Willebrands disease?
Dobermanns
what is the most commonly inherited haemostatic disorder in dogs?
von Willebrands disease
what is the result of von Willebrands disease?
platelet adhesion/clumping impaired
what is the result of secondary haemostasis?
formation of fibrin
what is the purpose of fibrin?
scaffolds the platelets and stabilises/anchors the primary haemostatic platelet plug
why does secondary haemostasis occur?
isn’t essential for small injuries
bigger injuries require both primary and secondary haemostasis for the vessel deficit to heal
what are clotting factors?
protease enzymes which catalyse a cascade of reactions that break down proteins to make fibrin from fibrinogen
what are the 2 arms of the fibrin cascade?
intrinsic and extrinsic pathways
what happens to the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of the fibrin cascade?
come together into a common pathway for the later stage where prothrombin is converted to thrombin
how is prothrombin converted to thrombin?
via the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways
what is the role of thrombin in the fibrin cascade?
catalyses conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin
what does fibrin do?
stabilises the primary haemostatic platelet plug
why can liver disease lead to coagulopathies?
all clotting factors are made in the liver
why does rodenticide poisoning lead to coagulopathy?
they work by binding vitamin K - required to recycle vitamin K clotting factors
why does rodenticide poisoning show a delayed clotting dysfunction?
takes a couple days for the working clotting factors in the blood to get used up before needing to be recycled by vitamin K
which arm of the clotting cascade is affected by vitamin K deficiency?
extrinsic arm
what type of vitamin is vitamin K?
fat-soluble
which cats may develop clotting disorders?
anorexic cats, cats with fat digestion issues due to blocked bile ducts (stone or pancreatitis)
(vit K is fat-soluble)
what are the possible defects of primary haemostasis?
decreased platelet number - IMTP, infectious diseases
decreased platelet function - end -stage CKD, multiple myeloma
vasculitis (adder bite)
what are the possible defects of secondary haemostasis?
quantitative disorders - decreased amount of clotting factors
qualitative disorders - decreased function of clotting factors
when do inherited bleeding disorders usually present?
<6 months
how can sex affect inherited bleeding disorders?
males are affected by sex-linked (X chromosome) coagulation disorders e..g haemophilia
why is it important to find out about previous trauma/surgery/toxins/drug exposure?
any previous trauma/surgery will usually have resulted in bleeding complications
recent toxin exposure may help to point towards the cause
what are primary haemostatic diseases typically characterised by?
multiple minor bleeds
prolonged bleeding
what are secondary haemostatic diseases typically characterised by?
single large bleeds
rebleeding
what are the clinical signs of primary haemostatic diseases?
petechiae and ecchymotic (larger) haemorrhages
often multiple sites of bleeding
prolonged bleeding from cuts/venepuncture
surface bleeding common - mms, skin, eyes
what are the clinical signs of secondary haemostatic diseases?
haematomas common
often localised site of bleeding
delayed bleeding or rebleeding from cuts
venepuncture usually uncomplicated
deep and cavity bleeds common - joints and abdominal/thoracic cavities
what are the considerations for blood sampling with suspected bleeding disorders?
collect before starting any therapy
atraumatic venepuncture to avoid excessive activation of haemostasis and local consumption of platelets
proper handling and collection of samples
what tests can be used for primary haemostasis testing?
platelet count - in-house estimation
buccal mucosal bleeding time
vWF testing (sodium citrate)
what is the BMBT?
screening test for platelet defects (number/function) and vessel wall defects
what is the normal BMBT?
<3 mins in cats
<3.5 mins in dogs
why is the BMBT more likely to be used to assess platelet function?
vessel wall disorders are rare
when might the BMBT test for platelet function?
BMBT can be prolonged in cases where the platelet count is normal but platelet function is impaired, e.g. von Willebrands disease
should a BMBT be carried out if thrombocytopaenia has been identified?
no - already know it will be prolonged
can a BMBT be carried out on a conscious patient?
can usually be done conscious in dogs
cat will require heavy sedation/GA
what position should the patient be in for a BMBT?
lateral recumbency - upper lip folded and held in place with gauze bandage tied around thr muzzle/head
how tight should the lip bandage be for a BMBT?
should mildly obstruct venous return
how is a BMBT carried out?
a pair of small standardised incisions are made in the buccal mucosa with a spring loaded bleeding time device
blood is blotted away using filter paper, WITHOUT disturbing the incision sites
time taken for cessation of bleeding is recorded
what can we use for identification of quantitative platelet disorders?
platelet counts and platelet count estimation
what blood tube should be used for samples intended for platelet counts?
EDTA
how can we perform an estimation of platelet count in-house?
examination of a stained (diff-quik) blood smear made from fresh EDTA anticoagulated blood