Pathophysiology
Clinical meaning
Coagulopathies are disorders of hemostasis resulting in either excessive bleeding or thrombosis. Primary hemostasis (platelet plug formation) disorders include quantitative (thrombocytopenia) and qualitative (platelet dysfunction) platelet abnormalities, presenting with mucocutaneous bleeding (petechiae, purpura, epistaxis, GI bleeding). Secondary hemostasis (coagulation factor) disorders cause deep tissue bleeding (hemarthrosis, deep hematomas, delayed post-surgical bleeding). The NP must differentiate between platelet-type bleeding (immediate, mucocutaneous) and factor-type bleeding (delayed, deep tissue), evaluate with appropriate laboratories (platelet count, PT, aPTT, bleeding time/PFA-100), and identify inherited versus acquired causes to guide management.