St. Luke's Hemophilia Center
The St. Luke's Hemophilia Center,
housed in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic at
St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI), cares for patients
with bleeding disorders, as well as those with blood clotting
problems. We are the only center in Idaho that offers comprehensive
care to people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
What is Hemophilia?
Hemophilia is
a rare genetic bleeding disorder caused by a shortage of
certain clotting
factors. Blood-clotting factors are needed to help
stop bleeding after a cut or injury and to prevent spontaneous
bleeding. The hemophilia gene can contain many different
errors, leading to different degrees of abnormality in
the amount of clotting factor produced.
There are two major types of hemophilia:
- Hemophilia A is caused by a deficiency of active clotting factor VIII. Approximately 80 percent of all people with hemophilia have type A, and most of these cases are severe. Approximately one out of every 5,000 male babies is born with hemophilia A.
- Hemophilia B is caused by a lack of active clotting factor IX. It is less common, occurring in one out of every 30,000 male babies.
Signs and Symptoms
of Hemophilia
Symptoms of hemophilia are usually first noticed during infancy
or childhood. However, some people with milder forms of hemophilia
may not develop symptoms until later in life.
The following signs may be noticed shortly after birth:
- Bleeding into the muscle, resulting in a deep bruise after receiving a routine vitamin K shot
- Prolonged bleeding after circumcision
Other symptoms of hemophilia include:
- Bleeding into a joint or muscle, causing pain and swelling
- Abnormal bleeding after an injury or surgery
- Easy bruising
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Blood in the urine
- Bleeding after dental work
Severity and frequency of bleeding episodes vary from patient to patient and may differ depending on whether the person has hemophilia A or hemophilia B.
Contact Us
For more information about the St. Luke's Hemophilia Center
at St. Luke’s MSTI,
please call:
(208) 381-2782
Toll Free 1-800-845-4624
Clinic Hours
Monday-Friday
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
24/7 on-call coverage
