Anaemia Flashcards
What is anaemia?
Low oxygen carrying capacity
What are the symptoms of iron anaemia and causes ?
- Symptoms and signs: Tiredness, pale skin, Pica, glossitis (tongue inflammation),cracking of the corners of the mouth) and nail deformity, decreased iron intake and loss of blood
- Causes: Blood loss, poor diet, developing countries , pregnancy and malabsorption
How is iron metabolised in different parts
- Iron provided in the diet is absorbed in the enterocytes in the ferrous form (Fe2+) and some iron is stored bound to ferritin
- In the blood iron is bound to apotransferrin resulting in transferrin
- In the BM transferrin is taken up by the maturing erythroblast
- Out of BM, iron can be stored inside macrophages as Ferritin in the spleen and liver
What is iron deficiency anaemia diagnosis?
- Take their RBCs indices corpuscular volume which is less that 90 femtolitres which is microcytic (tiny RBCs)
2.Bone marrow sample (not always performed): shows absence of iron at Perls’ staining (bottom right)
How do you manage or treat iron deficiency anaemia ?
1.Investigate and treat the underlying cause
- Give iron tablets
What is Vitamins deficiency anaemia and how does it happen?
1.Lack of vitamin B6, B12 and B9 these vitamins can be found in leafy food
- The vitamin enters the stomach and binds to the intrinsic factor but in some people the antibodies bind to the intrinsic factor blocking the vitamin leading to a lack of DNA that can’t mature and condense leading to large RBCs
what are Vitamins deficiency anaemia symptoms and diagnosis
- symptoms- : tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness and pale or yellow
- Diagnosis: MCV test getting RBCs greater than 90 which is macrocytic and megaloblast
How is Vitamins deficiency anaemia treated?
- Improve nutrition
- Vitamins supplements (oral or injection) Intramuscular
- Immunosuppressants in case of autoimmune diseas
What are the causes of vitamin deficiency anaemia?
- Vegans
- Gastic causes
- Fish tapeworms
- Poor diet
What is Anaemia of Chronic diseases and inflammation and what are the causes?
1.Chronic diseases are a common cause of anaemia in hospitalised patients which can cause a block in the production of RBC by holding back the erythopoesis
- Chronic inflammatory diseases
Infections e.g TB, Non infectious diseases e.g arthritis
What are Anaemia of Chronic diseases diagnosis and treatments?
- Mild to normal RBCs size by MCV it is normocytic-normochromic , Markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate which is a blood test and CRP
- Treating the factor , blood transfusion and BM transplant if the Bm is affected
What is Thalassemia and what are the symptoms ?
- It is a inherited blood disorder where the body produces an abnormal forms of HG
- Symptoms: Enlarged organs BM producing more RBC and delayed growth/development
What demographic does Thalassemia effect
African , Italian and southasian
What is alpha t and beta t and what happens if there is a lack
- Alpha T results through mutation in genes HBA and HBA2
- Beta T is due to a mutation in gene HB in chromosome 11
- lack of these lead to the RBCs not forming properly so it can’t carry O2
What are thalassemia diagnosis?
- Low haemoglobin
- microcytic, hypochromic anaemia
- Signs of haemolysis
