Anaemia Flashcards
Causes of anaemia in infancy
Physiologic anaemia of infancy, anaemia of prematurity, blood loss, haemolysis, twin-twin transfusion
Causes of haemolysis in infancy
Haemolytic disease of newborn (ABO or rhesus incompatibility), hereditary spherocytosis, G6PD deficiency
What is physiologic anaemia of infancy
Normal dip in haemoglobin around 6-9 weeks of age in healthy term babies
Reasons for anaemia in premature babies
Less time in utero for recieving iron from the mother, RBC creation cannot keep up with the rapid growth in first few weeks, reduce erythropoietin levels, blood tests remove significant portion in circulating volume
Test for haemolytic disease of newborn
Direct Coombes test (DCT)
Common causes of anaemia in older children
Iron deficiency secondary to dietary insufficiency, blood loss from menstruation
Rarer causes of anaemia in children
Sickle cell, thalassaemia, leukaemia, hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary eliptocytosis, sideroblastic anaemia
Causes of normocytic anaemia (5)
3 A’s 2 H’s
Acute blood loss
Anaemia of chronic disease
Aplastic anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia
Hypothyroidism
Causes of microcytic anaemia (5)
TAILS
Thalassaemia
Anaemia of chronic disease
Iron deficiency anaemia
Lead poisoning
Sideroblastic anaemia
Types of macrocytic anaemia
Megaloblastic and normoblastic
What is megaloblastic anaemia
Result of impaired DNA synthesis preventing cell from dividing normally. Caused by vitamin deficiency
Causes of megaloblastic macrocytic anaemia
B12 deficiency and folate deficiency
Causes of normoblastic macrocytic anaemia
Alcohol, reticulocytosis, hypothyroidism, liver disease and drugs such as azithioprine
Symptoms of anaemia
Tiredness, SOB, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, worsening of other conditions, specific to iron deficiency anaemia is pica and hair loss
Signs of anaemia
Pale skin, conjunctival pallor, tachycardia, raised resp rate
Specific symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia
Pica, hair loss, koilonychia, angular chelitis, atrophic glossitis, brittle hair and nails
When is Hb lowest
Gradually falls over first few weeks of life and is lowest at around 2 months of age
General causes of anaemia
Reduced red cell production
Increased red cell destruction
Blood loss
Causes of impaired RBC production
Red cell aplasia
Ineffective erythropoiesis
Causes of increased RBC destruction
Red cell membrane disorders
Red cell enzyme disorders
Haemoglobinopathies
Immune
Causes of blood loss
Feto-maternal bleeding
Chronic GI blood loss
Inherited bleeding disorders
Blood results indicating iron deficiency anaemia
Low serum iron
High transferrin
Low transferrin saturation
Low ferritin
High soluble transferrin receptor
Blood results of anaemia of chronic disease
Low serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation
Normal ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor
Blood results of iron overload
High serum iron, transferrin caturation, ferritin
Low or normal transferrin
Low soluble transferrin receptor
