Head trauma and hemophilia B: case report about a challenging hematologic emergency

ABSTRACT

Bleeding emergencies are common chief complaints in visits to the Emergency Department (ED) but hemophilia, a rare congenital bleeding disorder requires immediate treatment. Hemophilia B is characterized by a deficiency of coagulation Factor IX. As emergency medicine physicians we must be prepared to deal with such emergencies. One of the most feared complications in this population is the spontaneous or post-traumatic development of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). We present a case of a 69 year-old man with a past medical history of hemophilia B who presented to the emergency department after suffering a head trauma with development of acute and delayed ICH.