anaemia

Question 1

how does alcohol cause megaloblastic anaemia

Answer 1

dietary deficiency or impaired absorption of folate due to excess use of alcohol

Question 2

what drug can also impair the intestinal absorption of folate

Answer 2

phenytoin

Question 3

what type of people are common to getting megaloblastic anaemia due to their diet

Answer 3

vegans

Question 4

how does hypothyroidism cause anaemia

Answer 4

The low thyroid hormone levels of hypothyroidism suppress the activity of bone marrow, the tissue that makes red blood cells. That lowers the production of red blood cells and triggers anemia
low folate levels

Question 5

most common cuase of iron deficiency anaemia

Answer 5

colorectal cancer

Question 6

a common cause of microcytic anaemia is thalassaemia - what is this

Answer 6

inherited disorders characterised by abnormal haemoglobin production.

The severity of disease depends on how many of the four genes for alpha globin or two genes for beta globin are defective. This results in alpha thalassaemia and beta thalassaemia, respectively.

Question 7

alpha thalassaemia has an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern due to non functioning of 1 or more of the 4 genes responsible for the alpha chain. symtpomatic disease result when 2 or more copies are lost

Patients with two defective copies have have a mild asymptomatic anaemia anaemia – the so-called alpha thalassaemia trait – whereas those with three defective copiers have the symptomatic haemoglobin H disease. Inheritance of four defective copies is incompatible with life as the lack of alpha globin chains results in excess γ chains, which are poor carriers of oxygen due to their high affinity for it.

what are the clinical features and management plan

Answer 7

jaundice, fatigue and facial bone deformities

blood transfusions and stem cell as well as removing spleen

Question 8

beta thalassaemia is also autosomal recessive
The most mild variant of beta thalassaemia is beta thalassaemia minor (also known as thalassaemia trait). These patients typically have one functioning and one dysfunctional copy of the beta globin gene.

In contrast, the most severe form of beta thalassaemia (known as beta thalassaemia major), is caused by a complete absence of beta globin synthesis (null mutations in both copies of the beta-globin gene).

featrues of minor include microcytosis and mild anaemia normally assymtpomatic

features of major ?

Answer 8

3-9 months of age severe
Hb levels fall
frontal bossing - prominent forehead
maxillary overgrowth
hepatosplenogmally

blood transfusions
iron chelating agents to prevent iron overload