What is a bleeding disorder

A bleeding disorder  is an unbalanced biochemical clotting reaction. When a leak in the blood vessel occurs, normally our blood forms a plug in the leisure of the blood vessel. You need different proteins and other products to fabricate a plug or clod. Some of them are called Factors. They are mostly used in the secondary haemostasis. (haemo= Greek for Blood; stasis= Greek for stop) We have two kinds of biochemical reactions to stop a leak: the primary haemostasis and the secondary haemostasis.

The primary haemostasis is needed to attach cells around the border of the crack. Once this material is build up on the border, the secondary haemostatis can initiate its reactions: forming a firm clod that stops up the leisure.

Although every protein in the haemostatic process is important, there are some proteins that are more important because of their larger diagnostic presence or of their function:

• Von Willebrand protein, which is important for the primary haemostasis
• Factor VIII and IX to accelerate the activation of formation of Fibrin

The clotting process is a sequence of biochemical reactions. When the biochemical reaction starts, it generates an activated protein, that in its turn generates another activation of a protein that in its turn generates ….  Coagulation

This is why we call the clotting process a ‘cascade’, or is symbolized by toppling domino stones. When this process is disturbed, there is no firm clod formed and the bleeding goes on.

For a scheme of the clotting cascade click here (108 KB)
For more information: see Coagulation