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Instructions
 Take Another Course
Post-Test
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Causes:
Lets look at some of
the causes of hemophilia.
In some
cases bleeding disorders are caused by rare inherited disorders. In other
cases they are developed during certain illnesses such as severe liver
disease, or treatments such as use of anticoagulant drugs or prolonged use of
antibiotics. In fact, there are many causes of bleeding disorders, including
the following:
Immune system-related diseases, such as medication-related allergic
reactions or reactions to infection
von Willebrand's disease , an inherited blood disorder that affects less
than 2% of the population
Various cancers, such as leukemia
Antibodies
Liver disease
Bone marrow problems
Medicines, such as aspirin, heparin, warfarin, and drugs used to break up blood clots
Disseminated intravascular coagulation, linked with certain types of cancers,
infections and child
bearing, all characterized by abnormal blood clotting
Eclampsia
Organ transplant rejection
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Recent Progress:
There
are numerous advances that have made life with hemophilia more normal and
enjoyable. These include:
Medically supervised home-infusion therapy
New clotting factor products
Synthetic clotting products (free from blood products)
Prophylactic treatment
Improved screening methods
New drugs such as desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) used to treat mild-to-moderate hemophilia A
and von Willebrands disease)
Improved surgical options
Newly Advanced genetic testing methods
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Resources:
The
National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF)
NHF seeks to enhance the quality of life and promote the health of people with
bleeding disorders. With 42 chapters nationwide, NHF engages in a number of
activities. It supports clinical research and provides education to
professionals, the bleeding disorders community, and the public at large. It
also delivers patient and community services, advocates on behalf of the
bleeding disorders community, and makes health policy recommendations.
Finally, it addresses HIV and related health problems and offers a range of
information services and publications through HANDI, its information center.
Click
here to learn more about NHF.
HANDI
This is an information
resource for bleeding disorders professionals and consumers. HANDI produces
and distributes a variety of materials. It responds to over 7,000 calls per
year asking for information on many subjects, including new issues like
genetic engineering, genetic testing options, recently approved treatments,
and blood safety technologies. HANDI's information specialists handle
telephone requests from 9AM to 6PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Click
here to learn more about HANDI and its publications.
Local Chapters
The 37 local chapters
of NHF provide materials, information, advocacy, help in accessing appropriate
health services, links to emotional support, financial assistance, and other
services.
Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs)
Hemophilia Treatment
Centers offer comprehensive medical and psychosocial resources for persons
with bleeding disorders. They also offer risk reduction information and
counseling, HIV education, resource materials, and referrals to other
agencies. To find an HTC nearest you, contact NHF's HANDI.
Resource information provided by the Bleeding Disorder Info Center at
http://www.hemophilia.org/bdi/bdi_resources.htm. |
