Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Bleeding time

Table of Contents

Normal Values

Bleeding normally stops within 1 to 9 minutes. However, values may vary from lab to lab.


What abnormal results mean

Longer-than-normal bleeding time may be due to:

  • Blood vessel defect
  • Platelet aggregation defect
  • Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

  • Acquired platelet function defect
  • Congenital platelet function defects
  • Primary thrombocythemia
  • Von Willebrand's disease


Review Date: 03/02/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)