anaemia Flashcards
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What are features of anaemia?
Skin and mucosal pallor
Pale conjuctivae
fatigue
Increased resp rate and Heart rate
Krusty is a 54 year old Clown and fast food franchise owner. He reports 6 kg of weight loss over the last 3 months alongside ‘stomach issues’. On examination, he has angular cheilitis, koilonychia and appears pale.
A blood film shows hypochromic red blood cells with evident anisopoikilocytosis and multiple pencil cells.
What is the diagnosis?
a) Anaemia of Chronic Disease
b) Thalassaemia Major
c) Iron Deficiency Anaemia
d) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
e) Hyperthyroidism
Iron Deficiency Anaemia
What is type of anaemia that can be seen here?
What are the features?
What are the causes of it?
Iron deficiency anamia
poikilocytosis and anicytosis and pencil cell and microcytic and hypochromic cell
CAUSES:
Reduced uptake
- Malnutrition
- Coeliac
- IBD
- Achlorhydria
Increased loss
- GI Malignancy
- Peptic ulcer
- IBD
- Menstruation
Increased requirement
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
Reduced prodcution:
- sideroblastic anaemia
what is the triad of Colon cancer?
Iron deficiency anaemia
PR bleeding
Weight loss
What is globally the most common cause of iron deficency anaemia?
ascariasis and schistosomiasis
Abe Simpson is 83 year old man with enlarged lymph nodes. He has lost 5kg in the last 2 months. He reports episodes of fevers and night sweats. On examination he has hepatosplenomegaly. After follow up from an urgent two week referral, he is diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Blood testing also identifies an anaemia related to his condition.
Which is increased in Anaemia of Chronic Disease?
a) Intrinsic factor
b) Hepcidin
c) TIBC
d) Transferrin
e) Ferroportin
Hepcidin
BECAUSE DUE TO ANAEMIA OF CHRONIC DISEASE
How does anaemia of chronic disease work
How do you differentiatate between anaemia of chronic disease and iron deficiency
Kent Brokodopolis is a news reporter from Greek Cyprus. His son is 6 months old and has stunted growth. On examination the boy is small, docile with pale conjunctivae. He has hepatosplenomegaly and skull abnormalities with ‘chipmunk’ facies.
Which investigation will confirm the likely diagnosis?
a) HLA typing
b) Haemoglobin Electrophoresis
c) Peripheral Blood Smear
d) Full Blood Count
e) Plain Skull X-ray
Haemoglobin Electrophoresis
Why do people with thalassemia and sickle cell get frontal bossing and skull abnormalities?
extramedullary haematopoiesis
ALSO GET hepatosplenomegaly
What are the different types of alpha defects?
What is the gene affected?
You have 4 genes-
Alpha+ lacking 1 gene
Alpha° lacking 2 genes
Hb H lacking 3 genes - significant anaemia
Hb Barts lacking all 4 - not compatible with life
What is the gene affected? - chr 16
What are the different types of beta thalassemia?
What chromosome is the defect on?
Beta minor
Beta intermedia
Beta major
Chr 11
What disease does thalassemia give resistance to
falciparum - malaria
How do you investigate thalassemia?
Investigations:
- Microcytic anaemia
- Normal Iron studies
Label the haemoglobin curve
Explain at what ages beta thalassemia presents
Typically presents between first 3 & 6 months
Carl Carlson is a 36 year old male with Sickle Cell Anaemia. He is admitted to Hospital while undergoing an acute painful crisis.
How should Carl be managed?
a) Fluids, Oxygen and Analgesia
b) Exchange Blood transfusion
c) Emergency Splenectomy
d) Urgent Cholecystectomy
Allogeneic stem cell transplant
a)Fluids, Oxygen and Analgesia
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What are the complication/ crisis (emergency) you can get in sickle cell and how do you treat them?
What are the symptoms of sickle cell?
What is the treatment of sickle cell
Conservative
- Trigger avoidance
Medical:
- Vaccinations
- Hydroxyurea
- Prophylactic ABx
Surgical:
- Bone Marrow Transplant (curative)