Anemia

Question 1

define anemia

-

Answer 1

reduction in total number of erythrocytes in circulating blood
*decrease in quantity or quality of hgb

Question 2

MC general causes of anemia (3)

Answer 2

1. blood loss (acute or chronic)
2. impaired erythrocyte, heme or globin production
3. increased erythrocyte destruction (hemolytic anemia)

Question 3

anemia from blood loss— MCC for acute

Answer 3

trauma

called— post hemorrhagic anemia

Question 4

how does anemia occur form chronic blood loss

Answer 4

loss is greater than the replacement capacity of the bone marrow

• heavy periods
• blood can be lost in stool– men

Question 5

if an older man comes in with anemia w/o known origin– what do we want to always check for?

Answer 5

colon CA

bc they can be losing blood from stool without knowing

Question 6

what happens when hgb is below 12 g/dl

Answer 6

stimulates increase in production of erythropoietin from kidneys –>travels to marrow–>initiates proliferation and maturation of stem cells–>produce adult RBCs

Question 7

what is necessary for production of adult RBC

Answer 7

iron**
the body can recycle it bc we do not normally eat enough in the diet–very small amt is derived from food
–>recycled from red cell b/d and reticuloendothelial iron stores

Question 8

what dose iron bind to as it travels plasma

-what does this complex bind to?

Answer 8

transferrin

-complex binds to transferrin receptors on surface of erythroid precursors

Question 9

how is iron stored in body

Answer 9

ferritin

Question 10

what occurs if the amount of iron on transferrin is reduced?

Answer 10

hgb synthesis and proliferative response of erythroid precursors to erythropoetin are INHIBITED

basically IRON IS VERY IMP FOR RBC PROD

Question 11

how is iron stored in the body

-where is it stored the most and least

Answer 11

MC carried by RBC–hgb–65%

30% stored as ferritin in the—liver, bone marrow, spleen

4% stored as myoglobin (skel muscles)

the rest is in transit throughout the body—transferrin and iron bindnig proteins

Question 12

how to classify anemias

Answer 12

1. MECHANISM
   * impaired synthesis
   * increased destruction
2. MORPHOLOGY

Question 13

list the anemias caused by IMPAIRED SYNTHESIS—aka decreased RBC production

Answer 13

1. thalassemia—inherited
2. B12 and folate–>deficiency affecting DNA synthesis)
3. iron–deficiency affecting hgb synthesis
4. anemia of chronic dz–inflammation-mediated

Question 14

anemia from impaired erythrocyte production