What it means
Most clotting factors are made in the liver and are numbered with Roman numerals (I to XIII). When a vessel is injured, they switch each other on in a series, ending with fibrin threads that hold the clot together. Factors II, VII, IX and X need vitamin K, which is why warfarin, a vitamin K blocker, slows clotting. People with hemophilia lack factor VIII or IX.
For the nurse
Clients with liver disease or a vitamin K lack bleed easily because they make fewer clotting factors. Watch for bleeding and check the prothrombin timeproh-THROM-bin TYMEA blood test that measures how many seconds it takes a blood sample to form a clot.Full entry and INR.
At a glance
| Spanish | factor de coagulación |
|---|---|
| Also written | clotting factors, coagulation factor, coagulation factors |
Related terms
platelet
A tiny cell fragment in the blood that sticks together at a wound to help form a clot.
bleeding
Blood escaping from a blood vessel, either out of the body or inside it.
prothrombin time
A blood test that measures how many seconds it takes a blood sample to form a clot.
liver disease
Any condition that damages the liver or keeps it from working normally.