Hemostasis, coagulation, and complications

Wounding always provokes bleeding that leads to a complicated process of hemostasis that stops the loss of blood and initiates the healing response in the tissue. In the primary hemostasis, vasoconstriction limits the blood loss and platelets stick to exposed collagen, become activated and aggregate to form the soft plug. The coagulation process that follows operates on different cell surfaces where extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation pathways operate in parallel leading to formation and stabilization of the fibrin clot. In this review, we will summarize the current understanding of the hemostasis process and coagulation and discuss the clinical issues involved in management of bleeding problems.