Common pathway coagulopathy and hemorrhagic edema of infancy

When screening tests of haemostasis are abnormal, it is important to identify at which point in the coagulation cascade dysfunction may be occurring. This may assist to identify a specific deficiency/dysfunction, the type of bleeding to be anticipated, and replacement therapy if required. Unmasking of an inherited coagulopathy or the development of an acquired coagulopathy may occur in the setting of a second (febrile) illness. Differentiating between inherited and acquired coagulopathies will rely on clinicians taking a thorough personal and family bleeding history, and correlating these findings with the haemostasis screening results.