Hemostasis is defined as the stoppage of bleeding or hemorrhage; or the stoppage of blood flow through a blood vessel or body part. In fact, hemostasis is a complex control system through which blood is kept from leaking outside blood vessels. One of its main components is a complex coagulation cascade involving numerous blood clotting proteins or factors, platelets and tissue factor. Tissue factor is a lipoprotein that is constitutively present on the membrane of certain cells. When it is exposed, it binds to Factor VII (one of the central coagulation factors) and activates the tissue factor dependent coagulation pathway. Factor VIIa plays a pivotal role in hemostasis.

Clinical applications of hemostatic agents are rapidly growing in clinical medicine. Because of the pivotal role of hemostasis in surgery, critical care, trauma, perioperative medicine, and hematology, therapeutic approaches to treating bleeding and bleeding problems are important. Further, a broad spectrum of thrombin and platelet inhibitors have assumed a pivotal role in clinical medicine, and many of these agents are not readily reversible. Novel therapeutic approaches are important to consider when managing patients with potential for severe life threatening bleeding. This site will explore important issues in managing these patients and understanding the clinical problems they pose.

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