Bleeding Tendency

In any bleeding episodes, there will be a breach in the continuity of the blood vessel walls involved. Therefore, in the physiologic or normal situations, the damaged segment of the vessel wall will initiate the repair by enlisting the help of both the platelets and the clotting proteins. Platelets are small blood cells that can be activated and aggregated to form a platelet plug to seal the vessel wall breach. The platelet plug will also provide a conducive surface upon which the clotting proteins can react. The clotting proteins, once activated, will ultimately culminate in the laying down of a fiber network over the initial platelet plug. This fiber network serves to strengthen the platelet plug in sealing the vessel breach. However, once the inciting agents have been eliminated and the underlying vessel damages repaired, the fiber network and platelet plug will be removed. Therefore in anyone who has an abnormal or pathological bleeding tendency, it may result from abnormalities in the a) vessel walls, b) platelets, and/or c) clotting proteins.