From the list of blood coagulation factors below you will see that factor IV is calcium. A deficiency in any of the coagulation factors means that the blood may not clot properly, and if you need surgery you may bleed excessively. So you need to investigate your condition and find out how it can be corrected. It may be something as simple as eating more calcium-containing foods or taking a supplement, but if you have a disease such as hypo- or hyperparathyroidism, you should not attempt this yourself. The best course is to talk to you doctor.

Coagulation factors substances in the blood that are essential to the clotting process and hence, to the maintenance of normal hemostasis. They are designated by Roman numerals, to which the notation “a” is added to indicate the activated state. See also platelet factors.

factor I fibrinogen: a high-molecular-weight plasma protein converted to fibrin by the action of thrombin. Deficiency results in afibrinogenemia or hypofibrinogenemia.
factor II prothrombin: a plasma protein converted to thrombin by activated factor X in the common pathway of coagulation. Deficiency leads to hypoprothrombinemia.
factor III tissue thromboplastin: a lipoprotein functioning in the extrinsic pathway of coagulation, activating factor X.
factor IV calcium.
factor V proaccelerin: a factor functioning in both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulation, catalyzing the cleavage of prothrombin to thrombin. Deficiency leads to parahemophilia.
factor VII proconvertin: a factor functioning in the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, acting with factor III to activate factor X. Deficiency, either hereditary or associated with vitamin K deficiency, leads to hemorrhagic tendency.
factor VIII antihemophilic factor (AHF): a storage-labile factor participating in the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, acting as a cofactor in the activation of factor X. Deficiency, an X-linked recessive trait, causes hemophilia A.
factor IX a relatively storage-stable substance involved in the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, activating factor X. Deficiency results in the hemorrhagic syndrome hemophilia B, resembling hemophilia A; it is treated with purified preparations of the factor, either from human plasma or recombinant, or with factor IX complex.
factor X Stuart factor: a storage-stable factor that participates in both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of blood coagulation, uniting them to begin the common pathway of coagulation; as part of the prothrombinase complex, activated factor X activates prothrombin. Deficiency may cause a systemic coagulation disorder. The activated form is called also thrombokinase.
factor XI plasma thromboplastin antecedent: a stable factor involved in the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, activating factor IX. Deficiency results in the blood-clotting defect hemophilia C.
factor XII Hageman factor: a stable factor activated by contact with glass or other foreign surfaces, which initiates the intrinsic process of blood coagulation by activating factor XI.
factor XIII fibrin-stabilizing factor: a factor that polymerizes fibrin monomers, enabling formation of a firm blood clot. Deficiency produces a clinical hemorrhagic diathesis.

We may need more info here. My understanding is that Factor IV is not currently assigned. See Wikipedia on coagulation cascade. There is a comparable discussion in Medscape. There is no mention of Factor IV in Nathan & Oski.

More likely, your family members have a condition that affects platelet factor 4.

__________________
Joseph T. Malak, MD

Thank you for the information. I found the links very informative. I do not have any problems with clotting so I guess I am one of the lucky members of my family who don't seem to have the condition.