American family physician
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Easy bruising and bleeding are commonly seen in primary care. Use of a bleeding assessment tool and a comprehensive history, physical examination, and patient-provided photographs can help identify causes of abnormal bleeding and bruising. Family history can aid diagnosis of a heritable cause. ⋯ Normal PT and aPTT results may indicate a platelet disorder. A normal PT result with a prolonged aPTT result indicates a disorder of the intrinsic coagulation pathway, and a prolonged PT result with a normal aPTT result may indicate a disorder of the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Consultation with a hematologist is recommended when initial evaluation indicates a bleeding disorder or when suspicion remains high despite a normal laboratory workup result.