Principles of Care for Acquired Hemophilia

OBJECTIVE: To establish clear priorities for the care of patients with acquired hemophilia A (AHA) by proposing 10 key principles of practical, holistic AHA management.

METHOD: These principles were developed by the Zürich Haemophilia Forum, an expert panel of European hemophilia specialists comprising physicians and nursing and laboratory specialists.

RESULTS: The 10 proposed principles for AHA care are as follows: 1) Improving initial diagnosis of AHA; 2) Differential diagnosis of AHA: laboratory assessment of patients with unusual bleeding; 3) Effective communication between laboratories, physicians, and specialists; 4) Improving clinical care: networking between healthcare professionals in the treating hospital and specialist hemophilia centers; 5) Comprehensive assessment of bleeding; 6) Appropriate use of bypassing agents; 7) Long-term follow-up and monitoring for efficacy and safety of immunosuppressive treatment; 8) Inpatient/outpatient settings; 9) Access to innovative and disruptive treatments; 10) Promotion of international collaborative research.

CONCLUSION: The proposed principles for holistic AHA care aim to ensure swift diagnosis and optimal patient management. Key to achieving this goal is training for healthcare personnel in non-specialist hospitals and collaboration between different specialists. We hope these principles will increase awareness of AHA in the wider medical community and catalyze efforts towards improving its practical, multidisciplinary management.