Hemophilia and bleeding disorders: Providing supportive care for children and adults

Most bleeding disorders are caused when the clotting factors or platelets don’t work the way they should. When the blood doesn’t clot, prolonged bleeding can occur.

At UW Health, we diagnose, treat and provide supportive care for children and adults with bleeding disorders. We also help their families. Our goal is to manage these conditions so people can lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Conditions we treat 

The most common bleeding disorders we treat include: 

• Hemophilia A 

• Hemophilia B

• Platelet disorders

• Rare factor deficiencies

• Von Willebrand disease

Treatment 

Treatment depends on the condition you have and how severe it is. The treatment might replace a missing clotting factor, increase your body’s own clotting factor or stop the breakdown of a clot. 

We use medication to prevent bleeds. We can also use it to stop a bleed that’s already happening. Some medicines are injected into a vein or under your skin. Others you take by mouth or as a nose spray. In many cases, we can teach you how to give your own treatments at home. 

At UW Health, our providers stay up-to-date on the latest treatments. We also stay abreast of promising new therapies.

Your care team will include providers with special training in bleeding disorders. We work together to develop a plan of care for you and also work with other health care providers to help them understand your bleeding disorder. This can be important if you need surgery or are experiencing illness or injury that can affect bleeding.