Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month 2024

October is Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month in Australia, an initiative run by the Haemophilia Foundation. Visit their website for additional information about the event. This year the theme is:

NEW POSSIBILITIES!

 

Bleeding disorders are conditions which affect the way the body manages blood clotting. These disorders can lead to severe, painful, life-threatening symptoms, which can have a major impact on an individual’s daily life and general comfort.

As one of the largest haematology clinical research institutes in Western Australia, Perth Blood Institute (PBI) is continually working towards developing new and innovative treatments and measures to help people with bleeding disorders live better and improved lives. To support this significant health occasion PBI would like to shed light on the many types of bleeding disorders experienced by people around the world.

Bleeding disorders occur when clotting factors or coagulation pathways are not working efficiently. The intrinsic pathway reacts when there is damage to the internal vascular endothelium and involves the clotting proteins Factor IX, XI, XII and VIII. The extrinsic coagulation pathway is triggered when there is an external trauma and comprises Factors VII and III. Both pathways come together to form a common pathway which includes additional clotting Factors X, V II, I and XIII.

The most common bleeding disorder is haemophilia, where there are two main types.

Haemophilia A – caused by a reduction in factor VIII. Less than 1% have frequent spontaneous bleeding from early life; 1-5% present with severe bleeding following injury and occasional spontaneous episodes; and above 5% show mild disease associated with bleeding only after injury or surgery.

Haemophilia B – caused by a deficiency in factor IX. Clinical features are similar to haemophilia A.

Visit our Haemophilia webpage for additional information.

Impairments or deficiencies with any of the abovementioned clotting factors cause an array of bleeding disorders.

Bleeding disorders over time – 1999 to 2022 (The World Federation of Hemophilia Annual Global Survey)

There are also rare bleeding disorders which are not associated with clotting factors. The following conditions involve platelets and affect around 1 in 1 million people.

  • Bernard-Soulier syndrome is a clotting disorder which is described by abnormally large platelets, thrombocytopenia, and persistent bleeding. This condition is often under recognised and misdiagnosed, and isn’t usually diagnosed until age 16.
  • Glanzmann thrombasthenia is illustrated by extended or unplanned bleeding starting from birth. Individuals with this disorder bruise easily, have recurrent nosebleeds, and bleeding gums. Other symptoms include red or purple spots on the skin or bleeding within tissues causing swelling. Women may have continuous and unusually heavy menstrual bleeding; as well as an increased risk of excessive blood loss during pregnancy and childbirth.

Please join the PBI team with all things red during the last week of October – Red Week.

Wear red; take some delicious red coloured treats to work or school; and if you’re really adventurous, adding some red colour to your hair – see where your community spirit takes you.

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