Open AccessA case of serious bleeding
Author(s) -
Irene Ricca,
Marisa Coggiola,
S. Destefanis,
Claudio Pascale
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
clinical management issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2283-3137
pISSN - 1973-4832
DOI - 10.7175/cmi.v5i2s.1106
Subject(s) - medicine , autoantibody , severe bleeding , coagulation , disease , haemophilia , intensive care medicine , surgery , antibody , pediatrics , immunology
Acquired haemophilia A (AHA) is a rare disorder with a high mortality rate. It occurs due to autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) which neutralise its procoagulant function resulting in severe bleeding. This disease may be associated with autoimmune diseases, malignancies, infections or medications and occurs most commonly in the elderly. Diagnosis is based on the isolated prolongation of aPTT which does not normalise after the addition of normal plasma along with reduced FVIII levels. Treatment involves eradication of antibodies and maintaining effective haemostasis during bleeding. We report a case of a 76-year-old patient with a history of haemorrhage with severe anaemia. The article describes difficulties and complexities of clinical and therapeutic management of the patient.