What is hemophilia?

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Multiple Choice

What is hemophilia?

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. It usually results from a deficiency of clotting factors, most commonly factor VIII or IX, which slows the coagulation process and leads to prolonged bleeding after injuries, as well as potential spontaneous joint or deep tissue bleeds. It’s typically passed on as an X-linked recessive trait, so males are more often affected while females are usually carriers. Treatment centers on replacing the missing factor and managing bleeds. The other descriptions don’t fit hemophilia: a contagious liver disease implies an infectious condition of the liver, an autoimmune condition affecting platelets points to immune thrombocytopenia, and a vitamin K deficiency affects several clotting factors but is not the inherited factor deficiency that defines hemophilia.

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. It usually results from a deficiency of clotting factors, most commonly factor VIII or IX, which slows the coagulation process and leads to prolonged bleeding after injuries, as well as potential spontaneous joint or deep tissue bleeds. It’s typically passed on as an X-linked recessive trait, so males are more often affected while females are usually carriers. Treatment centers on replacing the missing factor and managing bleeds. The other descriptions don’t fit hemophilia: a contagious liver disease implies an infectious condition of the liver, an autoimmune condition affecting platelets points to immune thrombocytopenia, and a vitamin K deficiency affects several clotting factors but is not the inherited factor deficiency that defines hemophilia.

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