Purpura fulminans is rare and most commonly occurs in babies and small children but can also be a rare manifestation in adults when it is associated with severe infections. For example, Meningococcal septicaemia is complicated by purpura fulminans in 10–20% of cases among children. Purpura fulminans associated with congenital (inherited) protein C deficiency occurs in 1:500,000–1,000,000 live births.

There are autoimmune causes of coagulation disorders. They include acquired antibodies to coagulation factors, termed inhibitors of coagulation. The main inhibitor is directed against clotting Factor VIII. Another example is antiphospholipid syndrome an autoimmune, hypercoagulable state.

In people without a detectable thrombophilia, the cumulative risk of developing thrombosis by the age of 60 is about 12%. About 60% of people who are deficient in antithrombin will have experienced thrombosis at least once by age 60, as will about 50% of people with protein C deficiency and about a third of those with protein S deficiency. People with activated protein C resistance (usually resulting from factor V Leiden), in contrast, have a slightly raised absolute risk of thrombosis, with 15% having had at least one thrombotic event by the age of sixty. In general, men are more likely than women to experience repeated episodes of venous thrombosis.

People with factor V Leiden are at a relatively low risk of thrombosis, but may develop thrombosis in the presence of an additional risk factor, such as immobilization. Most people with the prothrombin mutation (G20210A) never develop thrombosis.

Acquired causes of coagulopathy include anticoagulation with warfarin, liver failure, Vitamin K deficiency and disseminated intravascular coagulation.Additionally, the haemotoxic venom from certain species of snakes can cause this condition, for example Bothrops, rattlesnakes and other species of viper. Viral hemorrhagic fevers include dengue hemorrhagic fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome

Leukemia may also cause coagulopathy. Furthermore, cystic fibrosis has been known to cause bleeding diathesis, especially in undiagnosed infants, due to malabsorption of fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin K.

The amount of fresh frozen plasma required to reverse disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with purpura fulminans may lead to complications of fluid overload and death, especially in neonates, such as transfusion-related acute lung injury. Exposure to multiple plasma donors over time increases the cumulative risk for transfusion-associated viral infection and allergic reaction to donor proteins found in fresh frozen plasma.

Allergic reactions and alloantibody formation are also potential complications, as with any protein replacement therapy.

Concomitant warfarin therapy in subjects with congenital protein C deficiency is associated with an increased risk of warfarin skin necrosis.

Prognosis varies depending on the underlying disorder, and the extent of the intravascular thrombosis (clotting). The prognosis for those with DIC, regardless of cause, is often grim: Between 20% and 50% of patients will die. DIC with sepsis (infection) has a significantly higher rate of death than DIC associated with trauma.

The major ("type 1") thrombophilias are rare. Antithrombin deficiency is present in 0.2% of the general population and 0.5–7.5% of people with venous thrombosis. Protein C deficiency, too, is present in 0.2% of the population, and can be found in 2.5–6% of people with thrombosis. The exact prevalence of protein S deficiency in the population is unknown; it is found 1.3–5% of people with thrombosis.

The minor ("type 2") thrombophilias are much more common. Factor V Leiden is present in 5% of the population of Northern European descent, but much rarer in those of Asian or African extraction. In people with thrombosis, 10% have factor V Leiden. In those who are referred for thrombophilia testing, 30–50% have the defect. The prothrombin mutation occurs at rates of 1–4% in the general population, 5–10% of people with thrombosis, and 15% of people referred for thrombophilia testing. Like factor V Leiden, this abnormality is uncommon in Africans and Asians.

The exact prevalence of antiphospholipid syndrome is not well known, as different studies employ different definitions of the condition. Antiphospholipid antibodies are detected in 24% of those referred to thrombophilia testing.

DIC is observed in approximately 1% of academic hospital admissions. DIC occurs at higher rates in people with bacterial sepsis (83%), severe trauma (31%), and cancer (6.8%).

Secondary TTP is diagnosed when the patient's history mentions one of the known features associated with TTP. It comprises about 40% of all cases of TTP. Predisposing factors are:

- Cancer

- Bone marrow transplantation

- Pregnancy

- Medication use:

- Antiviral drugs (acyclovir)

- Certain chemotherapy medications such as gemcitabine and mitomycin C

- Quinine

- Oxymorphone

- Quetiapine

- Bevacizumab

- Sunitinib

- Platelet aggregation inhibitors (ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel)

- Immunosuppressants (ciclosporin, mitomycin, tacrolimus/FK506, interferon-α)

- Hormone altering drugs (estrogens, contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy)

- HIV-1 infection

The mechanism of secondary TTP is poorly understood, as ADAMTS13 activity is generally not as depressed as in idiopathic TTP, and inhibitors cannot be detected. Probable etiology may involve, at least in some cases, endothelial damage, although the formation of thrombi resulting in vessel occlusion may not be essential in the pathogenesis of secondary TTP. These factors may also be considered a form of secondary aHUS; patients presenting with these features are, therefore, potential candidates for anticomplement therapy.

Treatment of asymptomatic congenital dysfibrinogenemia depends in part on the expectations of developing bleeding and/or thrombotic complications as estimated based on the history of family members with the disorder and, where available, determination of the exact mutation causing the disorder plus the propensity of the particular mutation type to develop these complications. In general, individuals with this disorder require regular follow-up and multidiscipline management prior to surgery, pregnancy, and giving childbirth. Women with the disorder appear to have an increased rate of miscarriages and all individuals with fibrinogen activity in clotting tests below 0.5 grams/liter are prone to bleeding and spontaneous abortions. Women with multiple miscarriages and individuals with excessively low fibrinogen activity levels should be considered for prophylaxis therapy with fibrinogen replacement during pregnancy, delivery, and/or surgery.

Individuals experiencing episodic bleeding as a result of congenital dysfibrinogenemia should be treated at a center specialized in treating hemophilia. They should avoid all medications that interfere with normal platelet function. During bleeding episodes, treatment with fibrinogen concentrates or in emergencies or when these concentrates are unavailable, infusions of fresh frozen plasma and/or cryoprecipitate (a fibrinogen-rich plasma fraction) to maintain fibrinogen activity levels >1 gram/liter. Tranexamic acid or fibrinogen concentrates are recommended for prophylactic treatment prior to minor surgery while fibrinogen concentrates are recommended prior to major surgery with fibrinogen concentrates usage seeking to maintain fibrinogen activity levels at >1 gram/liter. Women undergoing vaginal or Cesarean child birth should be treated at a hemophilia center with fibrinogen concentrates to maintain fibrinogen activity levels at 1.5 gram/liter. The latter individuals require careful observation for bleeding during their post-partum periods.

Individuals experiencing episodic thrombosis as a result of congenital dysfibrinogenemia should also be treated at a center specialized in treating hemophilia using antithrombotic agents. They should be instructed on antithrombotic behavioral methods fur use in high risk situations such as long car rides and air flights. Venous thrombosis should be treated with low molecular weight heparin for a period that depends on personal and family history of thrombosis events. Prophylactic treatment prior to minor surgery should avoid fibrinogen supplementation and use prophylactic anticoagulation measures; prior to major surgery, fibrinogen supplementation should be used only if serious bleeding occurs; otherwise, prophylactic anticoagulation measures are recommended.

The mortality rate is around 95% for untreated cases, but the prognosis is reasonably favorable (80–90% survival) for patients with idiopathic TTP diagnosed and treated early with plasmapheresis.

The prevalence of vWD is about one in 100 individuals. However, the majority of these people do not have symptoms. The prevalence of clinically significant cases is one per 10,000. Because most forms are rather mild, they are detected more often in women, whose bleeding tendency shows during menstruation. It may be more severe or apparent in people with blood type O.

The normal clotting process depends on the interplay of various proteins in the blood. Coagulopathy may be caused by reduced levels or absence of blood-clotting proteins, known as clotting factors or coagulation factors. Genetic disorders, such as hemophilia and Von Willebrand's disease, can cause a reduction in clotting factors.

Anticoagulants such as warfarin will also prevent clots from forming properly. Coagulopathy may also occur as a result of dysfunction or reduced levels of platelets (small disk-shaped bodies in the bloodstream that aid in the clotting process).

Like most aspects of the disorder, life expectancy varies with severity and adequate treatment. People with severe haemophilia who don't receive adequate, modern treatment have greatly shortened lifespans and often do not reach maturity. Prior to the 1960s when effective treatment became available, average life expectancy was only 11 years. By the 1980s the life span of the average haemophiliac receiving appropriate treatment was 50–60 years. Today with appropriate treatment, males with haemophilia typically have a near normal quality of life with an average lifespan approximately 10 years shorter than an unaffected male.

Since the 1980s the primary leading cause of death of people with severe haemophilia has shifted from haemorrhage to HIV/AIDS acquired through treatment with contaminated blood products. The second leading cause of death related to severe haemophilia complications is intracranial haemorrhage which today accounts for one third of all deaths of people with haemophilia. Two other major causes of death include hepatitis infections causing cirrhosis and obstruction of air or blood flow due to soft tissue haemorrhage.

Haemophilia A occurs in approximately 1 in 5,000 males, while the incidence of haemophilia B is 1 in 30,000 in male population, of these, 85% have haemophilia A and 15% have hemophilia B.

Two Dutch studies have followed hemophilia patients for a number of years. Both studies found that viral infections were common in hemophiliacs due to the frequent blood transfusions which put them at risk of getting blood borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. In the latest study which followed patients from 1992 to 2001, the male life expectancy was 59 years. If cases with known viral infections were excluded, the life expectancy was 72, close to that of the general population. 26% of the cases died from AIDS and 22% from hepatitis C.

Hypercoagulability in pregnancy, particularly due to inheritable thrombophilia, can lead to placental vascular thrombosis. This can in turn lead to complications like early-onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, pre-eclampsia and small for gestational age infants (SGA). Among other causes of hypercoagulability, Antiphospholipid syndrome has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including recurrent miscarriage. Deep vein thrombosis has an incidence of one in 1,000 to 2,000 pregnancies in the United States, and is the second most common cause of maternal death in developed countries after bleeding.

The incidence of acute TTP in adults is around 1.7–4.5 per million and year. These cases are nearly all due to the autoimmune form of TTP, where autoantibodies inhibit ADAMTS13 activity. The prevalence of USS has not yet been determined but is assumed to constitute less than 5% of all acute TTP cases. The syndrome's inheritance is autosomal recessive, and is more often caused by compound heterozygous than homozygous mutations. The age of onset is variable and can be from neonatal age up to the 5th–6th decade. The risk of relapses differs between affected individuals. Minimization of the burden of disease can be reached by early diagnosis and initiation of prophylaxis if required.

Haemophilia is rare, with only about 1 instance in every 10,000 births (or 1 in 5,000 male births) for haemophilia A and 1 in 50,000 births for haemophilia B. About 18,000 people in the United States have haemophilia. Each year in the US, about 400 babies are born with the disorder. Haemophilia usually occurs in males and less often in females. It is estimated that about 2500 Canadians have haemophilia A, and about 500 Canadians have haemophilia B.

Von Willebrand disease can also affect some breeds of dogs, notably the Doberman Pinscher, and screening is offered for known breeds.

If someone has coagulopathy, their health care provider may help them manage their symptoms with medications or replacement therapy. In replacement therapy, the reduced or absent clotting factors are replaced with proteins derived from human blood or created in the laboratory. This therapy may be given either to treat bleeding that has already begun or to prevent bleeding from occurring.

With treatment, maternal mortality is about 1 percent, although complications such as placental abruption, acute renal failure, subcapsular liver hematoma, permanent liver damage, and retinal detachment occur in about 25% of women. Perinatal mortality (stillbirths plus death in infancy) is between 73 and 119 per 1000 babies of woman with HELLP, while up to 40% are small for gestational age. In general, however, factors such as gestational age are more important than the severity of HELLP in determining the outcome in the baby.

Hypoprothrombinemia can be the result of a genetic defect, may be acquired as the result of another disease process, or may be an adverse effect of medication. For example, 5-10% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus exhibit acquired hypoprothrombinemia due to the presence of autoantibodies which bind to prothrombin and remove it from the bloodstream (lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome). The most common viral pathogen that is involved is Adenovirus, with a prevalence of 50% in postviral cases.

Inheritance:

Autosomal recessive condition in which both parents must carry the recessive gene in order to pass the disease on to offspring. If both parents have the autosomal recessive condition, the chance of mutation in offspring increases to 100%. An individual will be considered a carrier if one mutant copy of the gene is inherited, and will not illustrate any symptoms. The disease affects both men and women equally, and overall, is a very uncommon inherited or acquired disorder.

Non-inheritance and other factors:

There are two types of prothrombin deficiencies that occur depending on the mutation:

Type I (true deficiency), includes a missense or nonsense mutation, essentially decreasing prothrombin production. This is associated with bleeding from birth. Here, plasma levels of prothrombin are typically less than 10% of normal levels.

Type II, known as dysprothrombinemia, includes a missense mutation at specific Xa factor cleavage sites and serine protease prothrombin regions. Type II deficiency creates a dysfunctional protein with decreased activity and usually normal or low-normal antigen levels. A vitamin K-dependent clotting factor is seldom seen as a contributor to inherited prothrombin deficiencies, but lack of Vitamin K decreases the synthesis of prothrombin in liver cells.

Acquired underlying causes of this condition include severe liver disease, warfarin overdose, platelet disorders, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

It may also be a rare adverse effect to Rocephin.

Congenital hypofibrinogenemia is a rare disorder in which one of the two genes responsible for producing fibrinogen, a critical blood clotting factor, is unable to make a functional fibrinogen glycoprotein because of an inherited mutation. In consequence, liver cells, the normal site of fibrinogen production, make small amounts of this critical coagulation protein, blood levels of fibrinogen are low, and individuals with the disorder may suffer a coagulopathy, i.e. a diathesis or propensity to experience episodes of abnormal bleeding. However, individuals with congenital hypofibringenemia may also suffer episodes of abnormal blood clot formation, i.e. thrombosis. This seemingly paradoxical propensity to develop thrombosis in a disorder causing a decrease in a critical protein for blood clotting may be due to the function of fibrin (the split product of fibrinogen that is the basis for forming blood clots) to promote the lysis or desolution of blood clots. Lower levels of fibrin may reduce the lysis of early fibrin strand depositions and thereby allow these depositions to develop into clots.

Congenital hypofibrinogenemia must be distinguished from: a) congenital afibrinogenemia, a rare disorder in which blood fibrinogen levels are either exceedingly low or undetectable due to mutations in both fibrinogen genes; b) congenital hypodysfibrinogenemia, a rare disorder in which one or more genetic mutations cause low levels of blood fibrinogen, at least some of which is dysfunctional and thereby contributes to excessive bleeding; and c) acquired hypofibrinogenemia, a non-hereditary disorder in which blood fibrinogen levels are low because of e.g. severe liver disease or because of excessive fibrinogen consumption resulting from, e.g. disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Certain gene mutations causing congenital hypfibrinogenemia disrupt the ability of liver cells to secrete fibrinogen. In these instances, the un-mutated gene maintains blood fibrinogen at reduce levels but the mutated gene produces a fibrinogen that accumulates in liver cells sometimes to such extents that it becomes toxic. In the latter cases, liver disease may ensue in a syndrome termed fibrinogen storage disease.