Hemostatic Drugs

When bleeding is the consequence of a specific defect of hemostasis, the goal of treatment is to correct the defect. A typical example is the replacement of factor VIII by transfusion in patients with hemophilia. Specific treatment may be impossible, however, because bleeding may result from multiple defects or because no cause can be identified. In such situations, nontransfusional drugs that help to stop bleeding are indicated.¹ These drugs may also be indicated for patients who refuse blood transfusion or for those who undergo surgical procedures associated with large blood losses necessitating many transfusions of donated blood. Many nontransfusional hemostatic . . .