Anaemia Intro

Question 1

Normal Haemoglobin Values

Answer 1

Men: 135g/l

women 120g/l

Question 2

General symptoms of anaemia

Answer 2

Fatigue
Palpitations
Dyspnoea 
Faintness 
Headach
Tinitus

Question 3

General Signs of Anaemia

Answer 3

Pallor
Hyperdynamic Circulation - Tachy, Flow murmur, Cardiomegaly
Ankle Swelling and potentially Heart Failure

Question 4

Define Microcytic Anaemia

Answer 4

Abnormally small RBC on blood smear

Question 5

What might cause a microcytic anaemia

Answer 5

Haem abnormalities - IDA/Anaemia of chronic disease/lead poisoning

Globin Abnormalities - Thalassaemia

Question 6

Define Normocytic Anaemia

Answer 6

RBC are a normal size and so anaemia is caused by a lack of number.

Question 7

What might cause a normocytic anaemia

Answer 7

Blood Loss
Bone marrow failure
Renal Failure
Early Anaemia of chronic disease 
Pregnancy creates a physiological normocytic anaemia

Question 8

Define Macrocytic Anaemia

Answer 8

Abnormally large RBC but carrying decreased levels of Hb

Question 9

What might cause a Macrocytic anaemia

Answer 9

Megaloblastic

Vit B12/Folate deficiency
Anti-folate drugs: Methotrexate and phenytoin

Non-Megaloblastic

Reticulocytosis
Alcoholism/Liver Disease
Myelodysplasia

Question 10

Define Haemolytic anaemia

Answer 10

Haemolysis (splitting) of RBC

Can be split into extravascular and intravascular

Question 11

What are the mechanisms of haemolytic anaemia

Answer 11

increased rate of destruction –> decreased Hb –> compensatory bone marrow –> reticulocytes

Increased rate of breakdown –> increased billiruben –> increased urobillinogen –> increased LDH –> Bile pigment Stones

Question 12

signs of intravascular versus extravascular

Answer 12

Intravascular

Hb - aemia
Hb - uria
Decrease serum Hepatoglobins

Extravascular – Splenomegaly