Blood Clotting
Blood clotting occurs due to a complex process of coagulation that heals a bleeding blood vessel with at clot. Blood platelets and plasma protein fibrinogen are vital to the blood clotting process. People can suffer from various blood clotting disorders such as formation of blood clots due to excessive blood clotting. The PT or Prothrombin Time Blood Test is done before any surgery to check a patient's bleeding and clotting factors. PTT or Partial Thromboplastin Time Blood Test checks for a clotting disorder.
Blood clots
Blood clots can form in the heart or legs or brain or even in the lungs. These clots can travel through the blood vessels and hamper the flow of blood. This can lead to damage in the organs. Blood clot in the veins of the arm or legs can lead to DVT or deep vein thrombosis. Pulmonary embolism is a condition where a blood clot travels to the lungs. Blood clots during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or pre eclampsia.
Excessive bleeding
Bleeding disorders can occur due to severe liver disease. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. Bleeding disorders can also be a side effect of medicines.
Afibrinogenemia
Afibrinogenemia is an inherited blood disorder that is caused due to a recessive gene. Congenital Afibrinogenemia is caused due to deficiency of fibrinogen protein that is essential for blood clotting. Afibrinogenemia is tested by checking for PT (Prothrombin time), blood clotting time, fibrinogen level and bleeding time.
Symptoms of afibrinogenemia include abnormal bleeding in Gastrointestinal tract, nose, joints and bruises. Intracranial bleeding (bleeding in the brain) is a situation that can be fatal to the patient. A person suffering from Afibrinogenemia can be given blood plasma before any surgery or to treat excessive bleeding situations. Care should be taken to ensure that the patient is vaccinated against Hepatitis B. Such patients are likely to from blood clots (thrombosis).
Kidney biopsy
A kidney biopsy is often recommended for those who notice blood in the urine (hematuria), excess protein in the urine (proteinuria) or progressive kidney failure. Kidney biopsy might reveal the causes for improper functioning or rejection of a transplanted kidney. If urine tests, ulrasound or CT scan reveal possible kidney problems, kidney biopsy can aid in determining the cause.
A patient undergoing kidney biopsy is given sedation through IV. The biopsy needle is inserted through the skin with the aid of ultrasound. A small sample tissue is taken for examination. There is likely to be mild soreness in the muscle and some blood in the urine for the next 24 hours. Serious complications include puncture of a major blood vessel or bleeding into the kidney. Abnormal results of kidney biopsy show signs of scarring or inadequate blood flow or signs of disease such as renal cancer. Patients with blood clotting disorder are not advised to undergo this diagnostic test. Obesity, UTI, hypertension are some factors that can affect the accuracy of kidney biopsy results.
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