The National Hemophilia Foundation’s (NHF) Nursing Working Group has been revising and expanding the Nurses’ Guide to Bleeding Disorders (NGBD). First published in 1995, the guide provides comprehensive information and practical ideas to assist nurses at all levels in caring for patients with bleeding disorders.
Over the last several years, the NGBD has further evolved into a readily accessible online resource, serving as an introduction to nurses new to coagulation and an information source for more experienced nurses. New chapters, which continue to be added in downloadable PDF format, cover a wide range of topics such as hepatitis, orthopedics, pain, rare bleeding disorders and women with bleeding disorders.
Here NHF highlights the chapter “Women with Bleeding Disorders,” written by Judy Kauffman, RN, MS, CPNP. The chapter covers the various conditions that can affect women such as von Willebrand disease, symptomatic carriers and rare factor deficiencies (factors V, VII, X, XI or XIII) and platelet function disorders. The author then describes the primary symptoms of these disorders, with particular emphasis on bleeding and associated complications unique to women, such as menorrhagia (heavy periods) and obstetric hemorrhaging. The chapter concludes with psychosocial issues that have a direct effect on quality of life for these women. The focus, states the author, should be education to increase awareness for both medical providers and affected women to lessen adverse “psychological impact” of these conditions.
