ABSTRACT
Chapter Overview Treatment o f coagulation disorders is not an exact science. There are mathemati
cal equations and graphs in this chapter, yes, but they are simply starting points. This chapter will outline the treatment approach to the common coagulopathies: the inherited disorders o f factors VIII and IX, patients with liver disease, patients supra-therapeutic on warfarin, and patients mildly coagulopathic but requiring either open surgical or percutaneous procedures. In the coagulopathic patient, I think you must rely on your clinical assessment (is the patient bleeding?) to guide therapy to a greater degree than you do in the anemic or thrombocytopenic patient. This is because plasma transfusion is imprecise. There is certainly not a 3% Hct rule for FFP, even in the stable patient. My guidance, therefore, though it is evidence-based and clear, will require your input as well.
