Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

IMED2002 > Anaemia: General Concepts and Iron > Flashcards

Anaemia: General Concepts and Iron Flashcards

1
Q

What are the symptoms of anaemia?

A

Tired

Dizziness

lethargy

Shortness of breath

Headache

Tachycardia

Older people: heart failure and chest pain

Infants irritable and failure to thrive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the signs of anaemia?

A

Paleness

Increased CO (tachycardia and heart murmur)

Specific types of anaemia:
Jaundice (haemolytic anaemia and megaloblastic anaemia)

Koilonycha (spoon shaped nails)

Splenomegaly (especially in haemolytic anaemia)

Stool colour change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How is anaemia investigated?

A

A mean cell volume and blood film (MCV-mean cell volume)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What must be known before commencing treatment of anaemia?

A

The cause must be known

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the factor looked at when making a diagnosis of anaemia?

A

Mean Cell Volume (MCV)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What stain is used for microscopic investigation of RBCs?

A

Romanovsky stain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is investigated on stained blood film?

A

RBC morphology as well as other cell types for abnormalities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What other tests are guided by results of stained blood film?

A

Iron

Folate

Vitamin B12

Hb electrophoresis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the causes of anaemia?

A

Reduced BM production

Increased RBC loss

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the causes of primary reduced bone marrow production?

A

BM failure: aplastic anaemia (bone marrow just doesn’t make RBCs usually after infection)

Red cell aplasia

Bone marrow dysfunction: myelodysplasia (in older people abnormal production of blood it is a preleukeumic situation.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the causes of secondary reduced bone marrow production?

A

Insufficient nutrients: iron, folate, vitamin B12, EPO

Infection

Drugs

Marrow infiltration: leukaemia and cancer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What causes increased RBC loss?

A

Blood loss:

Acute incident which causes blood loss.

Chronic slow bleeding usually gastrointestinal (cancer; ulcer) or menorrhagia. May be secondary to anticoagulant drugs

Haemolysis: (premature RBC breakdown)

Inherited
Acquired
Defect of the cell or environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Clinical clues to cause of blood loss?

A

Blood loss:
Menorrhagia
Malaena

Splenomegaly:
Chronic haemolysis
Extramedullary haemopoiesis

Bone marrow failure:
Bruising/bleeding or infection

Jaundice: Haemolysis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is menorrhagia?

A

Abnormal bleeding during menstruation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is malaena?

A

Production of dark sticky faeces containing partly digested blood as a result of internal bleeding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is chronic splenic haemolysis?

A

Slow breakdown of RBCs in the spleen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is normal MCV?

A

Normal MCV is 80 - 100 femtoliters, anything less is microcytic anaemia and anything larger is macrocytic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What anaemia is caused by lack of iron?

A

Iron deficiency microcytic anaemia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What anaemias are caused by microcytic ferritin normal/increased anaemia?

A

Thalassemia

Sideroblastic anaemia

Anaemia of chronic disease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the causes of macrocytic anaemia? What type of macrocytic anaemia do they cause?

A

Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.

Low reticulocytic megaloblastic anaemia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What type of disorders cause normocytic anaemias?

A

Haemolytic anaemias as well as renal failure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Which cells of the body contain iron?

A

All cells in various amount.

2/3rds to 3/4ers in blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is iron important for?

A

RBCs

Myoglobin

Enzymes (cytochrome system in mitochondria)

Immune system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is normal iron content in body?

25
What is normal iron content for RBCs?
2500mgs
26
What is normal iron content for myoglobin?
300mgs
27
What is normal iron content for enzymes?
200mgs
28
What is normal amount of iron for storage? Where does this storage take place
1000mgs (in liver, spleen, and bone marrow)
29
What happens to the iron in RBCs after 120 days?
It is absorbed by macrophages and released to transferrin as needed.
30
Where is excess iron stored?
In macrophages and in the liver as ferritin
31
Where is iron typically lost?
Skin, gut, sweat - 1mg/day Menses 1mg/day
32
What causes iron deficiency?
Poor intake/absorption Increased blood loss or utilization
33
Who typically has low iron intake?
People of developing world Most common form of Anaemia in paediatrics
34
What causes poor iron absorption?
Stomach or bowel: Gastrectomy Coeliac disease
35
What causes chronic blood loss?
GI problems: ulcers, carcinoma, varices, diverticulosis, haemorrhoids Uterine bleeding (menorrhagia)
36
What causes increased iron utilization?
Neonates Puberty Pregnancy (3mg/day required)
37
What causes iron deficiency in ages 1 - 5 years?
Nutrition
38
What causes iron deficiency in ages 5 - 15 years?
Increased utilization / growth
39
What causes iron deficiency in ages 15 - 40 years?
Mestruation and pregnancy in females Coeliac's disease in males causes malabsorption
40
What causes iron deficiency in ages >40 years?
GI blood loss
41
What are the stages of iron deficiency?
Negative iron balance - reduced iron stores, normal iron in erythrocytes without anaemia. Iron deficient erythropoiesis - reduced iron stores, mildly reduced erythron iron, without anaemia Iron deficiency anaemia - reduced iron stores and erythron iron with anaemia
42
What are some clinical features of iron deficiency anaemia?
Atrophic glossitis (smooth tongue without pappilae) Angular cheilitis (redness and fissures at corners of the mouth) Koilonychia (spoon nails)
43
Which factors are low in iron deficiency anaemia?
Hb Hct MCV (microcytic anaemia) MCH (less haemoglobin per cell) RCC (less red cells)
44
What kind of cells do we see in iron deficiency anaemia blood film?
Hypochromic microcytic cells Pencil cells Elliptocytes
45
What happens to reticulocyte count in iron deficiency anaemia?
It is reduced
46
What happens to platelet numbers in iron deficiency anaemia? Why?
It is increased causing mild thrombocytosis Body responding to blood loss
47
What are lab measures of iron status?
Serum iron Serum transferrin Transferrin saturation Serum ferritin
48
Is serum iron a reliable measure of iron stores?
No, it is highly variable
49
What does serum transferring measure?
The amount of iron transporter
50
What is transferrin saturation?
Amount of transferrin occupied by iron
51
What is serum ferritin?
Reflects body stores
52
What investigations should be done following a discovery of iron deficiency anaemia?
Malabsorption test for coeliac disease Testing GI and uterine tract for blood loss
53
How are the GI and uterine tract tested for blood loss?
Gastroscopy Colonoscopy Capsule endoscopy Pelvic U/S
54
What is done to manage iron deficiency?
Treat underlying cause (Blood loss or coeliac's should be treated) Iron replacement therapy (could be oral, intramuscular or intravenous if severe) Blood transfusion (rarely required)
55
When is iron replacement therapy stopped?
Until Hb is normalised as well as ferritin stores
56
What are possible results of oral iron replacement therapies?
reticulocytes response begins in 7 days Poor response may be seen in continued bleeding, malabsorption, poor compliance (patient forgets or refuses to take tablets) and incorrect diagnosis
57
What are possible complications of Intravenous iron replacement therapies?
Same side effects as oral iron. Ongoing blood loss that exceed capacity of oral iron
58
What is the normal result of partially treated iron deficiency?
Dimorphic blood film showing some normal RBCs and some deficient RBCs
59
What is the most important consideration for iron deficiency anaemia?
That the underlying cause is treated because iron deficiency is a secondary diagnosis

IMED2002 (29 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions