Milestones and perspectives in coagulation and hemostasis.

Hemostasis is traditionally defined as the physiologic process whereby bleeding is antagonized and possibly stopped to minimize blood loss. The first medical description of the clinical and inherited features of hemostasis can be dated back more than 1000 years, when Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn 'Abbas al-Andalusi al-Zahrawi' medical treatise provided some initial insights into this puzzling process. Since then, continuous and revolutionary scientific developments have contributed to decoding several aspects of this intricate but essential physiologic phenomenon, providing a reliable model to explain the leading mechanisms involved. Although the point at which bleeding stops is commonly referred to as "coagulation," blood coagulation is actually only one part of a two-part hemostatic process that develops through sequential steps referred to as primary and secondary hemostasis. Throughout its activation and development, the coagulation cascade is strictly regulated by a series of natural inhibitors, which prevent unnecessary and excessive clotting. The aim of this article is to provide a concise overview of the major discoveries and past and current perspectives in coagulation and hemostasis. Copyright © 2009 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.