Bleeding Time

Stoppage of bleeding, or haemostasis, occurs in three steps – vasoconstriction ->platelet plug formation -> blood clotting (coagulation). The time it takes for a platelet plug to form from the onset of bleeding is called bleeding time. Platelets play a big role in haemostasis. They adhere to the walls of the damaged blood vessel to form a platelet plug which temporarily seals the break in the vessel. Bleeding time test tells the time taken by the small blood vessels in the skin to close to stop the bleeding. The test is done to assess platelet function. Normal bleeding time varies from 1 to 9 minutes. It may be prolonged in blood vessel defect, defect in platelet aggregation, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and in low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and salicylates can also increase bleeding time.