Blood Dyscrasias

Question 1

Define blood dyscrasias

Answer 1

a Nonspecific term that refers to a disorder or disease of the blood

Question 2

Does anemia have a shortage of RBC or WBC?

Answer 2

RBC

Question 3

A lack of RBC means there is a reduction in the transfer of what throughout the body?

Answer 3

Oxygen

Question 4

What are the different ranges for Mild, Moderate and Severe Anemia?

Answer 4

Mild has a hemoglobin between 9.5 - 13.0
Moderate is between 8 - 9.5
Severe is below 8

Question 5

What are the 3 main causes of Anemia?

Answer 5

Blood loss
Inadequate production of RBC
Excessive Destruction of RBC

Question 6

What is the most common cause of Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Answer 6

Excessive Bleeding

Question 7

True or False: Iron deficiency anemia is rarely a sign of an underlying problem and you don’t have to look for any specific cause for the deficit.

Answer 7

False

Question 8

What are the 4 causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Answer 8

Decreased Iron Intake
Blood Loss
Increased Demand
Decreased Absorption

Question 9

Give 4 signs/symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Answer 9

1. Fatigue, lethargy and cold intolerance
2. Irritability
3. Menstrual Irregularities
4. Delayed Healing

Question 10

What do you look for to diagnose Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Answer 10

Look for ferritin in the blood as well as looking for decreased iron counts

Question 11

What is not being properly absorbed in Pernicious Anemia?

Answer 11

Vitamin B12

Question 12

What factor is lacking that causes the malabsorption of Vit B12?

Answer 12

Intrinsic Factor

Question 13

Numbness, Weakness and emotional dilemmas are all a result of demyelination. Which Anemia has this effect?

Answer 13

Pernicious Anemia - the loss of myelin interferes with the conduction of nerve impulses

Question 14

What is Aplastic Anemia?

Answer 14

Impairment or failure of bone marrow leading to the loss of stem cells and pancytopenia.

Question 15

Define Pancytopenia

Answer 15

Decreased RBC, WBC and platelets in the blood

Question 16

What happens to the RBC in Hemolytic Anemia?

Answer 16

There is an excessive, abnormal destruction of them

Question 17

True or False: Sickle Cell Anemia is Genetic.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

What goes wrong with the RBC in Sickle Cell Anemia?

Answer 18

The formation of hemoglobin is abnormal.

Question 19

What is the major problem resulting from the sickling process in sickle cell anemia?

Answer 19

The obstruction of the blood vessels by the elongated and rigid RBCs resulting in thrombus formation and repeated multiple infarcts or areas of tissue necrosis (Blood Clots)

Question 20

What is Thalessemia?

Answer 20

Genetic defect where one or more genes for hemoglobin are missing or variant

Question 21

Which Type of Thalessemia is more severe, why?

Answer 21

Major Thalassemia. It has 2 copies of defective genes and requires weekly blood transfusions

Question 22

What is Polycythemia?

Answer 22

An increase in production of RBC (erythrocytes) and other cells in the bone marrow.

Question 23

Secondary Polycythemia is a compensation mechanism intended to provide increased oxygen transport int eh presence of what diseases/conditions?

Answer 23

Chronic lung disease, heart disease or from living in a higher altitude