Coagulation Disorders and Liver Disease from Fundamentals of Hemostasis, presented by MediaLab

An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Coagulation: Coagulation Disorders

Coagulation Disorders and Liver Disease

The liver is the site of production for the vast majority of our clotting factors.
Therefore, impaired liver function could adversely affect these hemostatic proteins.

Some early indicators of a potential liver problem include:
1. An increase in factor VIII. It is not produced in the liver and will be present in elevated numbers as the body attempts to compensate.
2. The PT is sensitive to liver function, so an unexpected, prolonged PT should be evaluated.
3. A lack of fibrinogen is often indicative of severe liver disease.
4. It is difficult to treat liver disease, so therapy typically centers around replacing the missing factors by way of administration of fresh frozen plasma.

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