2. DEFINITION
Process that causes blood to clot.
Helps prevent excessive blood loss when a vein or artery is pierced or
broken.
A natural way of preventing its body supply from being lost through a
cut, puncture, or other trauma to blood vessels.
Involves a series of proteins, protein cofactors, and enzymes that
interact on membrane surface.
Normally activated by damaged tissue.
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3. FUNCTION
Complex process that involves 20-30 components (blood coagulation
factors).
A series of complex chemical reactions.
Platelets are fragments of cells containing clotting factors.
Prothrombin is converted into thrombin with the help of clotting
factors.
Thrombin converts fibrinogen (a plasma protein) into fibrin, a long
sticky thread.
Mesh like net of fibrin traps RBCs as they try to leak out of blood
vessel.
Platelets also release messengers into blood to perform additional
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5. ROLE IN HUMAN HEALTH
Formation of self sealing clot in humans is crucial.
Deficiency in any of the protein coagulation factors can result in
hemorrhages following injury.
In hemophilia, the deficiency is due to inherited defect.
Deficiency can be due to an acquired condition, such as Vitamin K
deficiency.
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6. COMMON DISEASES AND
DISORDERS
Hemophilia: Both “A” and “B” are caused by an inherited sex-linked
recessive trait.
The defective gene is located on the “X” chromosome.
Only males are affected with the disorder; females can carry the
abnormal gene & pass it on to their children.
80% type A; deficiency of clotting factor VIII. Symptoms: include
bruising, spontaneous bleeding, bleeding into joints, GI & UT
bleeding, prolonged bleeding even from the most minor cuts.
Standard treatment: Infusion of blood plasma with concentration of
clotting factor VIII.
Hemophilia “A” occurs in about one out of 10,000 males.
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7. COMMON DISEASES AND
DISORDERS
Hemophilia “B” (also called Christmas disease); deficiency of clotting
factor IX.
Symptoms are generally the same as for type “A”.
Treatment: Infusion of blood plasma with clotting factor IX.
Condition occurs in one out of about 70,000 males.
Thrombosis is most common coagulation disorder; can lead to heart
attack and stroke.
Thrombocytopenia: Abnormally low number of platelets in the
bloodstream.
Normal range is 150,000 – 450,000 per micro liter of blood.
When drops below 150,000, the patient is said to be
thrombocytopenic.
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8. TREATMENT & MANAGEMENT
Anticoagulant drugs, such as sodium warfarin and heparin are given
to prevent clots in patients at high risk.
They reduce the blood’s ability to clump together.
This type of medicines will not dissolve clots that have already
formed. They may prevent an existing clot from worsening though.
They can increase the risk of severe bleeding & heavy blood loss.
Medications called “fibrinolytic agents” are sometimes used to
dissolve clots; they include streptokinase, urokinase and tissue
plasminogen activator.
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9. BLOOD CLOT CAUSES
Body reacts to an injury or cut by clotting your blood. These types of
clots are not a problem.
Sometimes a blood clot will form without a trigger (such as an injury
or cut). Risk factors:
Prolonged sitting | Prolonged bed rest (surgery or illness) | Pregnancy
| Smoking | Obesity | Birth control pills/hormone replacement
therapy/breast cancer medicines | Certain cancer types (pancreatic,
lung, multiple myeloma, or blood-related cancers) | Trauma (serious
injury) | Some types of major surgery (i.e. Cardiac) | Age (especially
over the age of 60) | A family history of blood clots | Autoimmune
disorders | Diseases related to chronic inflammation | Certain
infections (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, or Lyme disease).
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