FACTOR XIII DEFICIENCY

Course overview

FACTOR XIII DEFICIENCY IS A RARE BLEEDING DISORDER THAT IS CHALLENGING TO RECOGNIZE CLINICALLY. THE LAB TESTS SUCH AS THE PROTHROMBIN TIME, INR, AND ACTIVATED PARTIAL THROMBOPLASTIN TIME ARE USUALLY NORMAL AS FACTOR XIII IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FORMATION OF THE FIBRIN. A HIGH INDEX OF SUSPICION IS NEEDED IN PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH CHARACTERISTIC BLEEDING, AND PROPER INTERPRETATION OF LABS IN NEEDED TO DIAGNOSE THIS RARER YET FATAL CONDITION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF FACTOR XIII DEFICIENCY AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.