Bleeding disorders

Alternative names:

coagulopathy

Definition:

A disorder of the blood clotting (coagulation) system in which bleeding is prolonged due to inadequate clotting factors in the blood.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Normal blood coagulation is a complex process involving as many as 20 different plasma proteins, which are known as blood clotting (coagulation) factors. Normally, a complex chemical process occurs using these clotting factors to form a substance called fibrin that stops bleeding. When certain coagulation factors are deficient or missing, the process does not occur normally. Bleeding problems can range from mild to severe.

Some bleeding disorders are present at birth and are caused by rare inherited disorders. Some bleeding disorders are developed during certain illnesses (such as vitamin K deficiency, severe liver disease), or treatments (such as use of anticoagulant drugs or prolonged use of antibiotics).