Hello and Welcome to United Virginia Chapter of National Hemophilia Foundation
Welcome to United Virginia Chapter of National Hemophilia Foundation
Hemophilia - History, Future, Cause and Potential Cure.
Symptoms and Treatment of Bleeding Episodes
How Is Hemophilia Treated?
Current products used to treat hemophilia are either manufactured from fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipate, which are from single blood donors and require special freezing, or are "freeze dried" factor VIII and fact IX concentrates.
These concentrates are made in large lots, come in small bottles and may be kept at room temperature or in the regular refrigerator. Some of the concentrates are made from large pools of donated plasma, and the newest (and most expensive) are made using recombinant gene technology.
The recombinant factor is not made from human blood, however, it is manufactured using some human blood components, and other animal biological components. There is still risk involved in treatment with any of these products. However, not treating can be very painful, and lead to other serious problems.
All blood donors in the U.S. are tested for blood borne viruses and all blood products are tested for hepatitis and the virus that causes AIDS (HIV: Human Immunodificiency Virus).
In addition, concentrates are treated and purified in several ways to reduce the risk of hepatitis and virtually eliminate the risk of AIDS transmission. Monoclonal products are more pure than heated concentrates, and recombinant factor is considered the most pure.
All factor replacement products are infused into the veins (intravenously).
When clotting factor is administered the body begins to use it right away to form a clot. After 6-8 hours the body has "used up" about half of what was administered.
Usually by this time most bleeding is well controlled. After about 24 hours the body has essentially used up all the clotting factor, at which time the clot is well established and the body begins to get rid of the blood which has leaked into the surrounding tissues, so that eventually the swelling subsides.
There are two important points to keep in mind:
1. A fresh bleeding episode can start if the clot becomes dislodged.
2. Natural reactions in the body cause a clot that is no longer needed to "break down" or to be dissolved. The processes begin approximately five days after the initial clot was formed and occasionally a bleed may restart at the site.
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excepts taken with permission from www.web-depot.com/hemophilia.