Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis?
The cellular and biochemical processes that enables both 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
Outline the mechanisms of haemostasis
Response to injury to endothelial lining:
Vessel constriction
- Vascular smooth muscle cells contract locally, limiting blood flow to injured vessel
Formation of an unstable platelet plug (primary haemostasis)
- platelet adhesion and aggregation (aided by vWF)
- limits blood loss and provides surface for coagulation
Stabilisation of plug with fibrin
- blood coagulation
- stops blood loss
Vessel repair and dissolution of plug (fibrinolysis)
- cell migration/proliferation & fibrinolysis, restoring vessel integrity
Why do we need to understand haemostatic mechanisms?
- Can diagnose and treat bleeding disorders
- Control bleeding in those that doesn’t have underlying bleeding disorders
- Identify risk factors for thrombosis
- Treat thrombotic disorders
- Monitor drugs used to treat bleeding and thrombotic disorders
How is normal haemostasis maintained?
Balance between thrombosis (coagulant factors, platelets) and bleeding (fibrinolytic factors, anticoagulant proteins)
Describe the steps of platelet adhesion
- Damage to endothelium results in exposure of collagen in vessel wall
- Platelets adhere to vessel wall directly via Glp1a receptor or indirectly using Von Willibrand Factor via the Glp1b receptor
Describe the steps of platelet aggregation
- Platelets release their granular contents and ADP and thromboxane are generated causing activation of platelets
- Leads to flip-flopping and activation of GlpIIb/IIIa receptor on platelets - causes aggregation
What disorders can cause thrombocytopenia?
Bone marrow failure - e.g. leukaemia, B12 deficiency
Accelerated clearance - immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
Pooling and destruction in an enlarged spleen
What happens in immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP)?
- Anti-platelet autoantibodies generated and stick to sensitised platelet
- Platelet cleared by macrophages of the reticulo-endothelial system in the spleen
- Common cause of thrombocytopenia
What disorders can cause impaired function of platelets?
Hereditary absence of glycoproteins or storage granules (rare):
- Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia - absence of GpIIb/IIIa receptor
- Bernard Soulier syndrome - absence of GpIb receptor
- Storage Pool disease - group of disorders referring to reduction in granular (dense) contents of platelets
What are acquired causes of impaired platelet function?
Drugs: aspirin, NSAIDs, clopidogrel
How does aspirin work?
Irreversibly blocks Cyclo-Oxygenase (COX) resulting in a reduction in platelet aggregation
Prevents production of thromboxane A2 from arachidonic acid in platelets
(Also inhibits prostacyclin synthesis but this can be produced by endothelial cells)
How long does a single dose of aspirin last?
7 days
Until most of the platelets present at the time of ingestion have been replaced by new ones
How does clopidogrel work?
Irreversibly blocks ADP receptor P2Y12 on platelet cell membrane
Von Willebrand Factor can be reduced or defective in which condition?
Von Willebrand Disease
What causes Von Willebrand disease?
Hereditary - decrease of quantity and/or function (common)
Acquired due to antibody (rare)
What are the functions of VWF in haemostasis?
Binding to collagen and capturing platelets
Stabilising factor VIII - if VWF is very low, factor VIII may be low
What are the different types of Von Willebrand Disease?
Usually hereditary - autosomal inheritance pattern
- Deficiency of VWF -> Type 1/3
- VWF with abnormal function -> Type 2
Give examples of disorders of the vessel wall affecting primary haemostasis
Inherited (rare): Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other connective tissue disorders
Acquired (common): steroid therapy, ageing (‘senile’ purpura), vasculitis, scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)
What are the typical clinical features of primary haemostasis bleeding?
Immediate
Prolonged bleeding from cuts
Nose bleeds (epistaxis): prolonged >20 mins
Prolonged gum bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
Easy/spontaneous brushing (ecchymosis)
Prolonged bleeding after trauma or surgery
Petechiae
Purpura
What clinical feature of primary haemostasis bleeding is more stable commonly seen in thrombocytopenia?
Petechiae
How can you distinguish between petechiae, purpura and ecchymosis?
Petechiae - <3mm
Purpura - 3-10mm
Ecchymosis - >10mm
When is purpura typically observed?
Platelets disorders - e.g. thrombocytopenic purpura
Vascular disorders
Is purpura blanching?
Nope, does not blanch when pressure is applied
Caused by bleeding under skin
Haemophilia-like bleeding may be present in the severe form of which disorder?
Von Willebrand Disease - due to low FVIII
List tests for disorders of primary haemostasis
Platelet count, platelet morphology
Bleeding time (now replaced by Platelet Function Analyser (PFA100) in lab)
Assays of VWF
Clinical observation - e.g. stretchy skin, hyper-elasticity - connective tissue disorders
What would you observe in a coagulation screen if someone with a disorder of primary haemostasis?
Tend to be normal except in more severe VWD cases where FVIII is low