Shocker! Did you know it’s possible to acquire hemophilia?
There’s a professor who I’m obsessed with from Texas—that would be “obsessed” as in a healthy obsession! And here’s why: He posted a very interesting lecture on hemophilia online. He said that, as he was making preparations for his lecture, he realized that, instead of delivering reviews of literature, he wanted to offer the basics.
He felt that, by revisiting the fundamentals and ensuring that his residents were well-trained, it would benefit patients more and improve their care.
The lecture was so good that I had to read more—especially when I learned that it’s possible to acquire hemophilia. While I have a good working knowledge of hemophilia, there’s still a lot for me to learn.
From his post, I discovered that some people have inhibitors to basic clotting factors, which means that treating them is more challenging. Below is a short list of acquired hemophilia causes:
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- Pregnancy
- Certain malignancies
- Certain autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and SLE
- In some cases, the cause is unknown (idiopathic)
I think this professor is brilliant because he’s able to present technical, highly complicated information and make it reasonably easy to understand—and he’s got great graphics.
He starts with the basics on how the human body functions to clot blood, which is essential for survival. Then, he discusses what happens when blood is unable to clot—hemophilia A, B, and acquired hemophilia. At length, he discusses factor replacement therapy, as well as dosing indications and how to calculate proper dosing.
What I also liked is that he encourages dialogue with patients to gather information from them firsthand.
