Keeping Track of Factor | Caremark Health Resources

Hemophilia is treated by giving the missing or low factor, or clotting protein. All patients with hemophilia should keep a written record of their use of factor. This record is often called a Factor Log. Check with your Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) for a sample log and learn what information your providers there want you to record.

How to keep a factor log

Patients are sometimes annoyed because they must keep a Factor Log. This may be especially true for patients who infuse factor every two or three days. Remembering the medical importance of the log can help reduce frustration. The format of the Factor Log may vary from person to person. However, all logs should contain certain information. Patients should always record the following:

Date that the factor was used

Time that the factor was used

Whether the factor was used to prevent problems or to treat a bleed that has occurred

If a bleed has occurred, the site of the bleeding

The Lot Number of the factor that was used

The Expiration Date of the factor that was used

Amount of factor

The importance of timing

When factor is given is very important. Doctors know how long factor should be effective after it has been given. If problems such as bleeding or side effects occur, doctors will want to review when factor has been used. This information will help your HTC determine if factor is being given too often or not often enough or if other problems may be occurring.

Some patients use factor on a regular basis to prevent problems from occurring. This is called prophylaxis, a medical term for prevention. These patients may use more factor if a bleed occurs. Other patients use factor only when it is needed to treat a bleed. Doctors use information about why factor was used to determine if bleeding problems are occurring too often given the treatment plan.

Repeated bleeds at one site can cause other serious problems. Information about where bleeding is occurring helps doctors determine if other tests and/or treatments are needed.

Recording the Lot Number and the Expiration Date of the factor is a safety measure. For instance, if a problem occurs with the factor, it is essential to know what batches of factor are implicated. The simple act of recording the expiration date may prevent patients from mistakenly using old factor.

Factor dose, reason factor was used, lot number and expiration date may seldom change. However, this information is still important for each infusion. Using a Factor Log format that allows the last information to be dittoed (") can eliminate the need to rewrite this information. Likewise, any other information that remains the same from one infusion to the next can also be dittoed. When using this method for recording information, it is important that patients make sure that the information that is being dittoed is still correct. Click here for a printable factor log sheet.

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