Women have specific health needs due to acquired hypercoagulable states which occur during different phases of life.

For example, women may be at risk of thrombosis during pregnancy and the postpartum period due to certain underlying genetic and acquired disease states. This presentation will provide an overview of potential thrombotic and bleeding disorders and how management and treatment are provided, with special focus paid to antiphospholipid syndrome (aPS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

Learning Objectives

1. Present overview of different disease states affecting women’s health, including venous thromboembolism, antiphospholipid syndrome, pregnancy related thrombocytopenia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

2. Discuss clinical guidelines establishing best practices for laboratory diagnosis of these disorders

3. Identify the role of the lupus anticoagulant (LA) relative to pathological thrombosis in clinical situations

4. Explain case studies featuring women’s health disorders and laboratory diagnosis