This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Normal haemostasis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

When a blood vessel is damaged, three processes are important in stopping haemorrhage:

  • vascular spasm in response to injury
  • platelet plug formation on the damaged endothelial surface
  • activation of the coagulation cascade

Defects with respect to any of these processes cause delayed cessation of bleeding. The type of disorder influences the pattern of bleeding.

If there are vascular or platelet defects then this results in bleeding from small vessels which manifests as cutaneous and mucosal bleeding e.g. epistaxis or GI haemorrhage.

In contrast, coagulation disorders characteristically cause bleeding into deeper tissues e.g. subcutaneous or intramuscular haematomata or joint bleeds (haemarthroses).


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.