Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis?
Tightly regulated process
Maintains fluid status while permitting rapid formation of haemostatic clot at site of vascular injury
3 components of haemostasis
Vascular wall
Platelets
Coagulation cascade (clotting factors and anticoagulant factors)
Aim of haemostasis
Stop bleeding following trauma to blood vessel
3 processes involved in haemostasis
Contraction of vessel wall
Form platelet plug at site
Form fibrin clot to stabilise (achieved by clotting cascade)
Importance of haemostasis
More important the larger the vessel is
Role of vessel wall
Damage to vessel exposes tissue factors and collagen (from tunica adventitia) to blood
Initiates clotting cascade
Basic principles platelets
Anucleate, disc shaped
Made from budding off of megakaryocytes
Life span 7-10 days
Normal platelet conc
150-400 x 10^9/ L
What do platelets do when vessel is damaged? (3)
Adhesion
Activation
Aggregation
Describe adhesion
Seconds
Damage to vessels means exposure of underlying tissues
Platelets adhere to collagen (vWF)
How do platelets adhere to collagen?
VWF (von willebrand receptor on platelets, factor is on collagen)
Describe platelet activation
Platelets secrete granules containing ADP, thromboxane and fibrinogen
Activate other platelets and clotting cascade
Describe platelet aggregation
Crosslinking of platelets to form platelet plug
Provides stability but still delicate
Mediating factors
Platelet receptors (glycoprotein binding sites for fibrinogen) Von willebrand receptor (platelets bind) Fibrinogen (links platelets) Collagen (binds platelets) ADP, Thromboxane Thrombin
Clotting cascade define
Steps activated in sequence
Conversion of zymogen to active enzyme
Amplification effects
How is clotting cascade controlled?
Natural anticoagulants
Clot destroying proteins activated by clotting cascade
Common pathway of clotting cascade
Intrinsic and extrinsic pathway result in:
Production of Factor 10
Prothrombin converted to thrombin
Thrombin converts fibrinogen to fibrin
Intrinsic pathway clotting factors
Contact activator 12 —> 12a 11–> 11a 9 —> 9a 8a (phospholipid and calcium)
(Then common pathway)
Intrinsic pathway activated by
Contact activator
Usually from trauma to internal vessel wall
Extrinsic pathway clotting factors
Tissue factor
7 —> 7a
Calcium
Then common pathway
Extrinsic pathway activated by
Tissue factor
Endothelial (blood vessel) damage that allows blood to escape circulation
What does APPT test?
Intrinsic pathway (and common)
What does PT test?
Extrinsic pathway (and common)
What does PT and APPT test?
Common pathway, extrinsic pathway and intrinsic pathway
Natural anticoagulants
Protein C
Protein S
Anti thrombin
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor
APTT
Activated partial thromboplastin time
Measures Intrinsic pathway
PT
Prothrombin time
Measures extrinsic pathway
TT
Thrombin time
Measures final step of pathway
Conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin via thrombin
Tests for clotting defects (3)
APPT (activated partial thromboplastin time)
PT (prothrombin time)
TT (thrombin time)
What type of blood are clotting tests done on?
Centrifuged
Platelet poor plasma (platelets removed)
Tests and what they measure
PT = extrinsic APPT = intrinsic
If APPT is prolonged…
Deficiency in intrinsic pathway
Factor 12, 11, 9, 8
If PT is prolonged…
Commonly due to factor 7 deficiency (extrinsic)
If APPT and PT are BOTH prolonged
Common pathway problem
Factor 5, 10, thrombin and fibrinogen deficiency