Synopsis Patients with disordered hemostasis present one of the greatest challenges to blood banks and transfusion practitioners. Early intervention with appropriate directed therapy can provide adequate hemostasis in a variety of bleeding conditions; however, the rapidly hemorrhaging patient can deplete…
Introduction Antithrombotic agents have been in clinical use for more than half a century and are among the most commonly prescribed classes of medications. Established uses include the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), atrial fibrillation (AF), and acute…
Historical Overview In 1958 a vascular surgeon, Rodger Weismann, and his resident, Richard Tobin, reported on 10 patients from whom they had extracted unusual platelet-fibrin thrombi that formed during a 1- to 2-week course of treatment with heparin. These physicians…
Introduction Complement is an elaborate system that participates in the innate immune response. Mutations and autoantibodies leading to unregulated complement activation are implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. Among them, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical…
Introduction Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is one of the most devastating thrombotic disorders of humans and carries a mortality rate of about 90% if untreated. Even with current state-of-the art therapy, mortality has not improved significantly over the past 3…
Introduction Patients with cancer are highly susceptible to venous thromboembolism (VTE), as well as arterial thromboembolic events, complications that contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the disease. There is an abundance of epidemiologic evidence to support the close-knit…
Pathophysiology of Arterial Thrombosis In general, venous thrombosis is caused by disturbances in the plasma coagulation system, with platelet participation playing a minor role, whereas in arterial thrombosis, platelets play the major role with limited participation of the plasma coagulation…
The evolution of cardiovascular (CV) medicine has flourished with advancements in our understanding of vascular biology, hemostasis, and thrombosis. Pharmacotherapies for the prevention and treatment of coronary atherothrombosis are the end results of several decades of investigation, highlighted by robust…
Introduction The first studies identifying what would eventually become known as antiphospholipid antibodies appeared in the 1950s, in patients with biologic false-positive tests for syphilis who also exhibited unusual coagulation test results consistent with the presence of a “circulating anticoagulant.”…
Introduction Thrombocytosis is defined as a platelet count greater than 450,000/µL, which is typically considered the upper limit of the normal laboratory reference range of 150,000 to 450,000 Thrombocytosis is most frequently detected as an incidental laboratory abnormality, and subsequently…