Hemophilia Research Paper

Hemophilia: A Rare Bleeding Disorder

Briza Ramirez

St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy

General Biology, Period 5

Ms. Washington

Hemophilia: A Rare Bleeding Disorder

Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process, which is not normal. Some people with Hemophilia may just have a little bit of “clotting factor” or no clotting factor at all (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2013). Clotting factor is a protein in blood that controls bleeding and they are needed the blood to clot normally. In order to help the blood clot, clotting factors work with “platelets” (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2013). Platelets are small blood cell fragments that form in the bone marrow, a tissue in the bones that is similar to a sponge. The functions of platelets have a very important role in blood clotting; the role of a platelet is to stick together (by the help of clotting factors) to block cuts, break on the carriers of blood (veins or arteries) throughout the body, and stop the bleeding when “blood vessels” (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2013) are injured. Blood vessels are tube like structures carrying blood through the tissues and organs, like a vein, artery, or capillary. People with hemophilia do not have enough “clotting factor VIII or IX” (World Federation of Hemophilia [WFH], 2013) in their blood, which results to prolonged bleeding or oozing, meaning that bleeding can last longer (though, not faster) than usual after surgeries, accidents, or having teeth pulled out at the dentist. Clotting factor VIII, which can also be called as “anti-hemophilic factor” (AHF, for short) (Patient.co.uk, 2011), is a blood clotting protein that is necessary for humans to have. Clotting Factor IX is a protein that i...

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...(CBC), Activated Partial Thrombo Plastin Time (APTT) Test, Prothombin Time (PT) Test, and Fibrinogen Test”.

Disorder Treatment

There is no cure for hemophilia yet but they can stop or keep the bleeding episodes from happening by injecting themselves with “purified clotting factors.” Additional treatment is necessary only if the purified clotting factors were attacked by the person’s immune system.

Other Interesting Facts

In the early 1980s, most people with Hemophilia were injected with “HIV”, because the factors used for treatment were isolated from injected human plasma. Since then, “virus sterilizing techniques” and the use of “artificial factors” have greatly reduced this risk. Hemophilia A can also be known as classic Hemophilia (because it is more common) and factor VIII deficiency. Hemophilia B is also known as Christmas disease, and factor IX deficiency.