Aplastic Anemia

Question 1

Aplastic anemia is what? (2)

Answer 1

Pancytopenia & hypo cellular bone marrow

Question 2

What does pancytopenia mean ?

Answer 2

across all blood cell types, everything is decreased

Question 3

What are the 3 blood cell types that are decreased in pancytopenia?

Answer 3

Red blood cells
White blood cells
Platelets

Question 4

Aplastic anemia ranges from ?

Answer 4

Moderate to severe ( fatal )

Question 5

Aplastic anemia is usually what?

Answer 5

Rare to get

Question 6

What are the 2 major types of aplastic anemia?

Answer 6

Antoimmune
Acquired

Question 7

What does autoimmune aplastic anemia mean?
And how does that work?

Answer 7

Auto reactive T lymphocytes
Cytotoxic T cells target and destroy patients own hematopoietic stem cells

Question 8

What is acquired aplastic anemia?

Answer 8

Results from exposure to ionizing radiation, chemical agents, viral & bacterial infections

Question 9

Acquired or autoimmune aplastic anemia, which is most common?

Answer 9

Acquired

Question 10

Autoimmune etiology effects patients how? (5)
What is it decreasing

Answer 10

Decreasing their immunity
Decreasing all their blood cell types
( attacks it )
No ability to fight infection
No ability to clot when needed
No ability to carry oxygen

Question 11

Acquired aplastic anemia can be intention because?

Answer 11

You could be giving radiation to a patient who has cancer ( chemotherapy )

Question 12

Aplastic anemia clinical manifestations
They are what development?

Answer 12

Abrupt or gradual
( over days or over weeks to months )

Question 13

Aplastic anemia
Symptoms are caused by what?

Answer 13

Suppression of all or any bone marrow elements

Question 14

What are general manifestations of aplastic anemia? (5)

Answer 14

Fatigue
Dyspnea
Cardiovascular & cerebral responses
( tachycardia ; lower LOC )
Neutropenia ( low neutrophil count ) ; more sus to infection
Thrombocytopenia (can’t clot )

Question 15

Diagnosis of aplastic anemia is confirmed by?

Answer 15

Labs

Question 16

What are the 4 things we are gonna see in labs ?

Answer 16

Low hemoglobin, wbc, platelet
Low reticulocute count
Elevated serum iron and TIBC
hypocellular bone marrow with increased fat content ( yellow marrow )

Question 17

Why is elevated iron and TIBC ??

Answer 17

Because of the initial( sudden) signs of decreased RBC production

Question 18

Nursing intervention of aplastic anemia
What are we gonna do?(4)
Explain each one & example

Answer 18

Identify and remove causative agent
( if it’s a chemical remove chemical )

Provide supportive care until pancytopenia reversed

Prevent complications from infections
( due to low neutrophil)

Prevent hemorrhage
( bleeding cause we can’t blood clot )

Question 19

The biggest killer of aplastic anemia is?

Answer 19

Infection

Question 20

Prognosis of severe untreated aplastic anemia is?

Answer 20

Poor
We want to catch it early to prevent it

Question 21

Treatment options? (2)

Answer 21

Immunosuppressive therapies
Bone marrow transplantation