Internal Medicine Shelf Exam Practice Test 2025 – Complete Study Resource

Desmopressin is used to address coagulopathy resulting from kidney disease because it acts by enhancing the release of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and factor VIII from endothelial cells. In patients with kidney disease, particularly those on dialysis or with certain hematological disorders, there can be a deficiency or dysfunction of vWF leading to a bleeding tendency. By administering desmopressin, the levels of these factors in the bloodstream can increase, effectively improving platelet function and hemostasis, thus mitigating bleeding risks associated with the coagulopathy.

Other treatments mentioned, such as warfarin and aspirin, are anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, respectively, which would not be appropriate for managing coagulopathy related to kidney disease. Vitamin K is necessary for the synthesis of certain clotting factors, but its role becomes less relevant in the context of kidney-related coagulopathy, where the issue is more about the dysfunction of the platelets and factors rather than a deficiency of vitamin K.