Master Protein C or S Deficiency with Picmonic for Medicine

Being unable to effectively inhibit clotting factors Va and VIIIa, patients with protein C or S deficiency are in a hypercoagulable state.

Due to their hypercoagulable state, patients can develop recurrent DVTs (deep vein thromboses). Often, protein C or S deficiency can be diagnosed when a child presents with DVTs at a young age.

In order to prevent warfarin necrosis, patients should be started on heparin initially. Heparin inhibits factor Xa, which is not affected by proteins C or S. Furthermore, heparin is an IV medication which has an immediate effect on anticoagulation, which is why it is recommended to use this drug while "bridging" to warfarin.

Patients who will be chronically anticoagulated should be bridged to oral warfarin. Warfarin does not have an immediate effect on anticoagulation, and patients taking this medication transiently develop a hypercoagulable state.

Warfarin inhibits production clotting factors II, VII, IX X, protein C and protein S. Protein C and protein S have a shorter half-lives than the other factors and are depleted faster. Thus, when patients take warfarin, the initial depletion of protein C and S makes them hypercoagulable for a short period of time. It is during this time period that patients with protein C and S deficiency are further depleted, leading to warfarin necrosis.