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Thrombosis in COVID‐19 is increasingly recognized and is generally associated with a high mortality rate. The key clinical question of this report was whether COVID‐19 could be complicated with cardiac thrombus and pulmonary embolism in Asian population. We demonstrated the case series of thrombosis in Thai patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. One patient had the first case of a large left ventricular thrombus, and three other patients had pulmonary embolism. All patients were male and had low absolute lymphocyte count, while lactate dehydrogenase level and d‐dimer were markedly elevated, especially at the time when the thrombosis was diagnosed. All patients had severe COVID‐19 with pneumonia. Two patients who needed mechanical ventilation were successfully extubated. After hospitalization for 13‐49 days, pneumonia and thrombosis improved and all of them could be discharged from the hospital. Thrombosis is common in COVID‐19 and could present in both arterial and venous sites even in Asian populations. d‐dimer is a strong marker to predict thrombosis and could be a prognostic predictor for severity of COVID‐19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is associated with significant hypercoagulability. However, despite prophylactic anticoagulation, critically ill patients with this condition develop thromboses. This forum discusses the lungs as the epicenter for the hemostatic issues, puts forward a proposal for staging COVID‐19 coagulopathy based on available diagnostic markers, and suggest considering current and future treatment options based on these different stages.

Increased frequency of thrombosis has been observed in patients with hemoglobin E/beta-thalassemia (Hb E/beta-thal) disease, particularly those who have previously been splenectomized. We compared various hemostatic and thrombotic markers in blood from 15 Hb E/beta-thal patients who were not splenectomized (NS), 15 who had been splenectomized (S), and 15 normal controls (NC). Levels of plasma thrombin-antithrombin, beta2 thromboglobulin, C-reactive protein, tissue plasminogen activator antigen were significantly higher in the S group than in either the NS or the NC groups, and levels of prothrombin fragment 1.2 were significantly higher in the S than in the NC group. Levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen were significantly higher in the S than in the NS group. Levels of protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and fibrinogen were significantly lower in the S and NS groups than in the NC group. Plasma lipoprotein(a) levels in the S and NS groups were not statistically different from NC. Our findings indicated that there is evidence of chronic low-grade coagulation and platelet activation, chronic low-grade inflammation, endothelial cell injury, impaired fibrinolysis, and decreased naturally occurring anticoagulants in splenectomized Hb E/beta-thal patients. These changes may account for the increased risk of thrombosis in these patients.

Summary. Several acquired bleeding disorders in the developing world have impacts on health, including late vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) in infants, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), and malaria. This paper describes their clinical manifestations, mechanisms involved, and treatment.

Small pulmonary arterial thromboses can occur following splenectomy of patients with haemoglobin E/beta-thalassaemia (Hb E/beta-thal). We compared plasma markers of coagulation activation in vivo and red blood cell (RBC) markers of procoagulant activity in 15 Hb E/beta-thal patients who were not splenectomized (NS), 15 who had been splenectomized (S), and 15 normal controls (NC). Levels of plasma thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) were significantly higher in the S group than in either the NS or the NC groups, and levels of prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F 1.2) were significantly higher in the S than in the NC group. Diluted Russell's viper venom clotting times were significantly shorter when RBCs from group S patients were added to the assay compared with RBCs from the NC group. Phosphatidylserine (PS) expression (% of annexin V-positive RBCs) on the outer leaflet of RBC membrane of both 'larger'- and 'smaller'-sized RBCs was significantly higher for the S than the NC group. The RBC PS expression of the S and the NS groups, respectively, accounted for 25 x 3% (P = 0 x 174) and 6.3% (P = 0 x 675) of the variation in plasma TAT levels. Our findings indicated that, when compared with NC, splenectomized patients with Hb E/beta-thal were in a chronic low-grade hypercoagulable state associated with increased numbers of circulating PS exposed RBCs. This condition may have a role in the risk of these patients for pulmonary arterial thromboses.

The roles of nurses in 16 orthopaedic joint corrections of 14 haemophilia A patients (eight severe, six moderate) are described. The patients' ages ranged from 10 to 37 years with a mean age of 17 years and 4 months. The nursing tasks could be divided into three stages. The first is preoperation, the nurse acting as care provider on a team of experts involved in planning the corrective surgery for the affected joints; and as a counsellor for preparing the patients and family members to cope with the challenging operation. The second is intraoperation, the nurse having the role of care provider, giving factor concentrate either by bolus injection (seven episodes) or continuous infusion (nine episodes). The third is postoperation, as a comprehensive care provider, giving cryoprecipitate and/or factor concentrate and monitoring bleeding doses, and as a trainer, teaching the patients how to dissolve blood components and self-venepuncture with aseptic technique. Home treatment for early bleeding was given for 11 episodes, while 6-month prophylaxis was given for five. The accomplishment of these different roles required good communication and nurturing skills, a well-adjusted personality and a warm and positive attitude. The successful performance of nursing roles allows the haemophiliac patients to have a near-normal quality of life.

We investigated the prevalence of a genetic variation in the factor V gene (G1691A Leiden mutation) and the prothrombin gene (G20210A) using polymerase chain reaction techniques in samples from 500 normal Thai population and among 50 unselected Thai patients with an objectively confirmed history of deep venous thrombosis. The prevalence of factor V Leiden and the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation in a group of 500 healthy controls was 0.2% in both groups (allele frequency of 0.1%). Of the 50 adult patients studied, none was a carrier of factor V Leiden or the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation. Our findings confirm that the prevalence of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A gene mutation is lower among Asians than Caucasians and that the distribution of factor V Leiden is similar to that of the prothrombin G20210A variant. The low prevalence of these two mutations can, at least in part, account for the lower frequency of deep venous thrombosis reported in the Thai population. Screening for factor V Leiden and prothrombin gene mutation is of limited benefit and may not be cost-effective in Thai patients with the first episode of deep venous thrombosis.

Combined hereditary deficiency of coagulation factors V and VIII is a very rare bleeding disorder. The severity of bleeding is determined by the level of these factors, although in general, this is less striking than the severe deficiency of either factor alone. We describe in this article a patient with this congenital defect, and the preoperative management for major surgery.