Bleeds

The primary complication of FVII deficiency is an increased bleeding tendency. Because clotting occurs slowly due to the absence of adequate Factor VII, people with FVII deficiency may experience more frequent and longer bleeding than people who do not have FVII deficiency. The severity of a person's FVII deficiency affects where, how often, and how long he or she bleeds.

Bleeding may result from an injury or may be spontaneous. Excessive bleeding may also occur during menstruation and invasive procedures, such as surgery.

For people with FVII deficiency, bleeds may be experienced in the following parts of the body:

About Bleeds

The blood-clotting process is what makes bleeding stop at the site of an injury. Normally, when bleeding occurs, the body responds in two phases to stop it.

  • In phase one, the blood vessel shrinks and platelets become sticky, clumping together at the site of the injury to form a temporary plug
  • In phase two, the temporary platelet plug is replaced by a fibrin clot, which seals the opening. This phase involves a chain reaction of clotting factors to create this clot

images of damaged blood vessel wall, platelet plug, and then fibrin clot over it

Figure 1: The Formation of a Fibrin Clot
[images of damaged vessel wall, platelet plug, and then fibrin clot over it]

If there is an insufficient amount of clotting factor, the reaction needed to make a fibrin clot breaks down and bleeding continues. The longer—and more often—a bleed remains uncontrolled, the more likely it is that the bleed will result in permanent damage, especially to joints and muscles.