INTRODUCTION HOW TO STOP BLEEDING
Bleeding time is a medical test done on someone to assess their platelets function. It involves making a patient bleed then timing how long it takes for them to stop bleeding. The term template bleeding time is used when the test is performed to standardized parameters. The bleeding time test is a method indicated when other more reliable and less invasive tests for determining coagulation are not available. However, it remains the most reliable way of assessing clinical bleeding in patients with uremia.Historically it was indicated whenever the physician needed information about platelet activation. The process involves cutting the underside of the subject’s forearm, in an area where there is no hair or visible veins. The cut is of a standardized width and depth, and is done quickly by an automatic device. A blood pressure cuff is used above the wound, to maintain venous pressure at a specified value. The time it takes for the bleeding to stop (i.e. the time it takes for a platelet plug to form) is measured. Cessation of bleeding can be determined by blotting away the blood every several seconds until the site looks “glassy”. Bleeding time is affected by platelet function, certain vascular disorders and von Willebrand Disease—not by other coagulation factors such as haemophilia. Diseases that cause prolonged bleeding time include thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), Bernard-Soulier disease, and Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia. Aspirin and other cyclooxygenase inhibitors can significantly prolong bleeding time. While warfarin and heparin have their major effects on coagulation factors, an increased bleeding time is sometimes seen with use of these medications as well. People with von Willebrand disease usually experience increased bleeding time, as von Willebrand factor is a platelet adhesion protein, but this is not considered an effective diagnostic test for this condition. It is also prolonged in hypofibrinogenemia.
How to test for bleeding time
A blood pressure cuff is inflated around your upper arm. While the cuff is on your arm, the health care provider makes two small cuts on the lower arm. They are just deep enough to cause a tiny amount of bleeding. The blood pressure cuff is immediately deflated. Blotting paper is touched to the cuts every 30 seconds until the bleeding stops. The provider records the time it takes for the cuts to stop bleeding. A standard-sized incision is made around 10 mm long and 1 mm deep. The time from when the incision is made until all bleeding has stopped is measured and is called the bleeding time. Every 30 seconds, filter paper or a paper towel is used to draw off the blood.
A forecast result : Bleeding normally stops within 1 to 9 minutes. However, values may vary from lab to lab. A prolonged bleeding time may be a result from decreased number of thrombocytes [platelets] or impaired blood vessels. However, the depth of the puncture or incision may be the source of error.
How to stop Bleeding 2021 Review
Bleeding time is a medical test that measures how fast small blood vessels in the skin stop bleeding. The bleeding time test is used to evaluate how well a person’s blood is clotting. The test evaluates how long it takes the vessels cut to constrict and how long it takes for platelets in the blood to seal off the hole. where the pre-operative assessment of patients taking aspirin or NSAIDs and screening for von-Willebrand disease.
NOTE : A prolonged bleeding time may be a result from decreased number of thrombocytes [platelets] or impaired blood vessels
Diseases that cause prolonged bleeding time include
- von Willebrand disease — a genetic disorder caused by a missing or defective clotting protein
- thrombocytopenia — a deficiency of blood platelets
- disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC) — widespread formation of blood clots in the small blood vessels throughout the body
- Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia — a genetic disorder in which the platelets have a deficient fibrinogen receptor
- hypofibrinogenemia — a partial deficiency of fibrinogen
Frequently ask question
What are the 3 stages of blood clotting?
- Constriction of the blood vessel
- Formation of a temporary “platelet plug.
- Activation of the coagulation cascade
- Formation of “fibrin plug” or the final clot.
What is the risk involved during the bleeding time test
There is a very slight risk of infection where the skin is cut.
What are the factors affecting bleeding time?
The bleeding time is affected by the antiplatelet variables of
- Intracapillary pressure
- Skin thickness at the puncture site
- Size and depth of the wound
all of which interfere with accurate interpretation of the test results.
CONCLUSION
Most people will never need a bleeding time test. You may need to have a bleeding test if you’ve been experiencing bleeding that won’t stop, especially from small incisions, punctures, or cuts. Your doctor can choose from a number of tests to evaluate your platelet function. A bleeding time test is a common test to screen patients having prolonged bleeding times. Abnormal results from a bleeding time test can be a sign that you need more in-depth testing to find the cause of your prolonged bleeding. It could mean you have an acquired platelet function defect, which is a condition that develops after birth and affects how well your blood platelets work. Your body may produce too many or too few platelets, or your platelets may not work properly.
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