About Von Willebrand Disease — What is VWD

Types and Symptoms of von Willebrand Disease
Diagnosing von Willebrand Disease
Treatment Options
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Diagnosing VWD

To diagnose VWD, your doctor should consider:

  • Your health history — When did you first start bleeding? How long does the bleeding last? When does the bleeding start and where and how often do you bleed?
  • Family history — VWD is an inherited bleeding disorder,* so your doctor may ask about bleeding patterns of family members
  • Lab tests — Blood samples may show if you have VWD and if so, what type

*In most cases, a person inherits VWD from a parent; in rare cases, VWD can be acquired1

VWD can be difficult to diagnose. Here’s why:

Symptoms of VWD can be very mild, even unnoticeable.2

  • Mild symptoms may be mistaken for other illnesses
  • People with VWD may not even suspect they have the disease and may never get tested
  • Some find out they have VWD only after they’ve had heavy bleeding following an accident or dental surgery

The amount of von Willebrand factor in someone’s blood can vary at different times.

  • Certain situations or conditions (stress, pregnancy, infection, etc.) can cause the amount of VWF to temporarily increase,3 making it hard for doctors to make a specific diagnosis
  • This means blood tests would need to be taken more than once

Testing for VWD is complicated.

  • Testing for VWD involves many different kinds of blood tests.
  • If you believe you have VWD, it is important to go to a qualified treatment center or to a hematologist, (a doctor who specializes in testing for and treating bleeding disorders)

Should you get tested for VWD?
If you have mild symptoms (easy bruising, nosebleeds, etc.), you should get tested for VWD. Why? If you are in an accident or you need surgery, you may experience heavy and prolonged bleeding. To give you the proper treatment, your doctor would need to know what’s causing the extra bleeding—the VWD or the injury itself.


Important Safety Information

Antihemophilic Factor/von Willebrand Factor Complex (Human), Dried, Pasteurized, Humate-P® is indicated in adult patients for treatment and prevention of bleeding in hemophilia A (classical hemophilia). Humate-P® is also indicated in adult and pediatric patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) for (1) treatment of spontaneous and trauma-induced bleeding episodes, and (2) prevention of excessive bleeding during and after surgery. This applies to patients with severe VWD, and patients with mild and moderate VWD for whom use of desmopressin is known or suspected to be inadequate.

Humate-P® is contraindicated in individuals with a history of anaphylactic or severe systemic response to antihemophilic factor or von Willebrand factor preparations or to any of its components.

Thromboembolic events have been reported in VWD patients receiving coagulation factor replacement, especially in the setting of known risk factors for thrombosis. Caution should be exercised and antithrombotic measures considered.

Humate-P® is derived from human plasma. As with all plasma-derived products, the risk of transmission of infectious agents, including viruses and, theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent, cannot be completely eliminated.

Although few adverse reactions have been reported the most common are allergic-anaphylactic reactions, including urticaria, chest tightness, rash, pruritus, edema, shock, chills and fever, and hypervolemia. For patients undergoing surgery, the most common adverse reactions are postoperative wound or injection-site bleeding.

Please see accompanying full prescribing information for Humate-P®.

References

  1. The “Other” Bleeding Disorder. Available at:http://www.haemophilia.org.za/Vonwil2.htm. Accessed June 20, 2006.
  2. Montgomery RR, Hilgartner MW. Understanding von Willebrand Disease. The National Hemophilia Foundation; 1991.
  3. National Hemophilia Foundation, Bleeding Disorders Information Center/von Willebrand disease. Available at: http://www.hemophilia.org/bdi/bdi_types3.htm. Accessed June 20, 2006.