blood disorders
Von Willebrand Disease
Treatment of Von Willebrand Disease
Sometimes, the drugdesmopressin Sometimes, transfusion of blood clotting factors enriched invon Willebrand factor Many people with mild von Willebrand disease never need treatment. If excessive bleeding occurs, a transfusion of concentrated blood clotting factors containingvon Willebrand factor(intermediate-purity factor VIII concentrates or recombinantvon Willebrand factor) may be given. For some mild forms of von Willebrand disease, drug treatment withdesmopressinmay be given to increase the amount ofvon Willebrand factorlong enough for surgery or dental procedures to be done without transfusions. Sometimes drugs that promote clotting, such as epsilonaminocaproic acidortranexamic acid, are used alone or withdesmopressin. For women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to von Willebrand disease, a brief period of treatment with intranasaldesmopressinor oraltranexamic acidmay decrease bleeding. 