Haemostasis Flashcards
Define haemostasis
The stopping of haemorrhage
What is clotting?
The process where liquid blood becomes a solid mass when it makes contact with connective tissue
Describe the process of haemostasis in 3 steps
- A severed artery contracts to decrease the pressure downstream
- Exposed collagen and vWF activates platelets. A primary haemostastic plug of activated platelets forms at the injury. (takes s-mins)
- A secondary haemostatic plug forms as fibrin filaments stabilise the fragile platelet plug (takes about 30 mins)
There are a number of different things that can activate platelets, name 4
1) Exposed collagen surfaces
2) ADP (released by activated platelets and injured RBC to amplify platelet response)
3) Thromboxane A2 - a powerful platelet aggregator
4) Thrombin - converts fibrinogen to fibrin, presense informs platelets that clotting sequence is active
What 4 things do platelets do once they are activated?
1) stick to exposed subendodthelium (basement membrane of collagen) by binding to von Willebrand factor receptors
2) Aggregate with other platelets
3) Swell and change shape to become sticky, spiny spheres
4) Secrete factors that help with platelet plug grow e.g. fibrinogen, ADP and thromboxane A2
How does aspirin decrease platelet aggregation?
Aspirin irreversibly inactivates COX enzymes which are responsible for production of thromboxane A2
Which enzyme converts circulating fibrinogen to fibrin?
Thrombin
Why can’t thrombin circulate in an active state?
Would get inappropriate blood clotting
Which factors of clotting cascade require vitamin K for their synthesis?
- II
- VII
- IX
- X
- Protein C (anticoagulant)
- Protein S (anticoagulant)
What is the intrinsic clotting pathway?
The intrinsic pathway is activated by damage to a vessel wall - it involves all the factors that are contained in blood
What is the extrinsic clotting pathway?
- Pathway needs tissue factor (thromboplastin/ III) which is present outside of blood
- It is triggered by thromboplastin release from damaged cells next to an area of haemorrhage
Where do the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways combine/?
They combine when factor X becomes activated to Factor Xa
What is the role of factor Xa in the clotting cascade?
Factor Xa convert prothrombin –> Thrombin
Thrombin converts fibrinogen –> fibrin
Fibrin cross links the clot
Give an overview of the Extrinsic clotting pathway
Trauma to extravascular cells releases thromboplastin (FIII)
Factor III converts Factor VII→ VIIa
Factor VIIa and factor III complex converts factor X→Xa
Give an overview of the Intrinsic clotting pathway
- Factor XII→ XIIa
- XIIa converts XI→ XIa
- XIa converts IX→IXa
- Factor IXa complexes with factor VIIIa to convert factor X→Xa