Blood reviews
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The diagnostic approach to easy bruising or a suspected mild bleeding disorder includes a careful history and physical examination as well as laboratory investigations. The history should determine whether or not a bleeding disorder exists and help elucidate possible causes. ⋯ The laboratory investigation should include both screening and more specific diagnostic tests depending on the results of the screening tests and clinical findings. The review will provide a framework for generating a differential diagnosis in patients with suspected bleeding disorders and will categorize them into abnormalities of coagulation factors, platelets and those related to blood vessels and supporting tissues.