ABSTRACT
The successful resolution of a bleeding or clotting emergency reflects the diagnostic skills of the physician, the interpretation of all available information, application of previous experience, and the actions taken to stop bleeding or prevent thrombosis. This chapter addresses those issues the physician is called upon to address in the diagnosis and management of the bleeding problem or clotting problem. These are the decisions to make a diagnosis based on history, the decisions to select the appropriate coagulation tests to identify or confirm the diagnosis, and the decision on what will be the management of the bleeding or clotting problem. However, bleeding time has value in assessing platelet function for management in uremia, and in screening for suspected von Willebrand’s disease, or other congenital causes for a platelet defect. Continued bleeding can be the result of a disease or medication known to the patient or family, but the information has to be requested.
