Treatment of Bleeding in Hemophilia

ABSTRACT

The management of hemophilia patients includes the treatment of acute bleeding, prevention of bleeding, and the treatment of complications. Bleeding can be minimized by prophylactic factor maintenance, education, and lifestyle modifications. The complications in hemophilia include hemophilic arthropathy, inhibitor development, liver disease due to transfusion-transmitted infections, etc. Patients can be managed ideally in comprehensive hemophilia care centers. The management of bleeding is most important. Treatment should be given early with an appropriate amount of drugs, according to the extent and site of bleeding. This early treatment is possible by home therapy. Life-threatening bleedings such as bleeding of the central nervous system, throat, or neck should be treated as emergency, immediately before evaluation. Recently, the World Federation of Hemophilia published a guideline for the management of hemophilia, which also suggested a good standard for the care of bleeding patients. In this article, the author introduce coagulation factors available in Korea for the treatment of hemophilia patients, including bypassing agents for inhibitor patients, and discuss practical points for the treatment of hemophilia patients in Korea.