Determination of Bleeding Time
Table of contents
Determination of Bleeding Time
BP107P Human Anatomy and Physiology Practical
Aim
To determine the bleeding time of a patient.
Theory
The time required for the complete stopping of blood flow from the punctured blood vessels is called the bleeding time. Normally it is 1-3 minutes for a normal human’s blood. Normal clotting time and bleeding time values differ because bleeding time is the time for stopping bleeding by the formation of fibrin network on the surface of punctured skin; that is it is the surface phenomenon. But the clotting time is the time for clotting the whole blood, collected in the capillary tube; therefore it is a volume phenomenon. For this reason, clotting time is more than the bleeding time when determined by conventional methods.
Clinical significance
It plays significant role
i) to study hemorrhagic disorders.
ii) to study the coagulation defects
iii) to have an idea about the platelet count of the patient. Bleeding time is prolonged in a few disorders like vascular lesions, platelet defect, severe liver disease, uremia, and anti-coagulant drug administration.
Materials
Sterilized needle, filter paper, cotton, spirit, and stopwatch.
Procedure (Duke’s method)
The finger of a subject is sterilized with spirit and pricked with a sterilized needle. Time of pricking is noted. Take the stain of the punctured point on a filter paper for 30 seconds and keep taking the stain of blood in 20-second intervals until the bleeding stops. The time of no stain has come is noted properly; it is the bleeding time of the subject.
Precaution
Following precautions should be enforced
i) Needle should be sterilized.
ii) A fain stain of blood should not be avoided.
iii) Time should be noted properly.
Synopsis and viva questions
Bleeding time refers to the duration taken for blood to stop flowing from a small incision or wound made on the skin’s surface. It measures the platelet function and the blood’s ability to form a clot.
Determining bleeding time is crucial in assessing platelet function, diagnosing bleeding disorders, monitoring treatment efficacy, and assessing risks before surgeries.
The Ivy method is a common technique. A standardized incision is made on the forearm, and the time taken for bleeding to stop is measured. Another method, the Duke method, involves creating a controlled puncture and blotting the blood at regular intervals until bleeding stops.
Yes, variations may arise due to factors like the depth of the incision, blood pressure, and temperature, which can affect clotting time.
Normal bleeding time typically ranges between 2 to 9 minutes. Prolonged bleeding time may suggest platelet disorders, von Willebrand disease, or other blood clotting issues.
Results aid in diagnosing various bleeding disorders, assessing surgical risks, monitoring treatments like antiplatelet medications, and evaluating clotting factors’ effectiveness.
Yes, factors like medications, certain diseases, recent blood transfusions, and even smoking can influence bleeding time. It’s essential to disclose these before the test.
Generally, it’s not a frequent test and is performed as needed for specific medical purposes or in response to clinical indications.
It provides valuable insights into a patient’s clotting ability, aiding in the diagnosis and management of various bleeding disorders and ensuring appropriate pre-surgical assessments.
Assessing bleeding time assists healthcare providers in evaluating bleeding risks, tailoring treatments, and ensuring safer surgical interventions, ultimately enhancing patient care.
Human Anatomy and Physiology Practical Syllabus
- Study of a compound microscope.
- Microscopic study of epithelial and connective tissue
- Microscopic study of muscular and nervous tissue
- Identification of axial bones
- Identification of appendicular bones
- Introduction to hemocytometry.
- Enumeration of white blood cell (WBC) count
- Enumeration of total red blood corpuscles (RBC) count
- Determination of the bleeding time
- Determination of clotting time
- Estimation of haemoglobin content
- Determination of blood group.
- Determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
- Determination of heart rate and pulse rate.
- Recording of blood pressure.
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