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Bleeding into the skin

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Ecchymoses; Skin spots - red; Pinpoint red spots on the skin; Petechiae

Home Care:

Protect aging skin. Avoid trauma such as bumping or pulling on skin areas.

For a cut or scrape, use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.

If you have a drug reaction, ask your health care provider about stopping the drug.

Otherwise, follow your prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause of the problem.

Call your health care provider if:

Contact your health care provider if:

• You have sudden bleeding into the skin for no apparent reason
• You notice unexplained bruising that does not go away

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

Your doctor will examine you and ask questions about the bleeding, such as:

• Have you recently had an injury or accident?
• Have you been ill lately?
• Have you had radiation therapy or chemotherapy?
• What other medical treatments have you had?
• Do you take aspirin more than once a week?
• Do you take Coumadin, heparin, or other "blood thinners" (anticoagulants)?
• Has the bleeding occurred repeatedly?
• Have you always had a tendency to bleed into the skin?
• Did the bleeding start in infancy (for example, with circumcision)?
• Did it start with surgery or when you had a tooth pulled?

The following diagnostic tests may be performed:

• Coagulation tests including INR and prothrombin time
• CBC with platelet count and blood differential
• Bone marrow biopsy

• Review Date: 5/17/2007
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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