Chapter 14 – Red Blood Cell and Bleeding Disorders Flashcards
What is ANEMIA?
Anemia is defined as a reduction of the total circulating red cell mass below normal limits .
Anemia reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, leading to tissue hypoxia.
How is anemia diagnosed?
In
practice, the measurement of red cell mass is not easy, and anemia is usually diagnosed based
on a reduction in the hematocrit (the ratio of packed red cells to total blood volume) and the
hemoglobin concentration of the blood to levels that are below the normal range.
These values
correlate with the red cell mass except when there are changes in plasma volume caused by
fluid retention or dehydration
What is hematocrit?
hematocrit is the ratio of packed red cells to total blood volume
What is hemoglobin?
hemoglobin concentration of the blood to levels that are below the normal range.
These values
correlate with the red cell mass except when there are changes in plasma volume caused by
fluid retention or dehydration
What is the second clinical useful approach classifies anemia?
A second clinically useful approach classifies anemia according to alterations in red cell morphology, which often point to particular causes.
Morphologic
characteristics providing etiologic clues include what?
Morphologic
characteristics providing etiologic clues include red cell:
- size (normocytic, microcytic, or macrocytic);
- degree of hemoglobinization, reflected in the color of red cells (normochromic or hypochromic); and
- shape.
Red cell size is classified as what?
- normocytic,
- microcytic, or
- macrocytic
degree of hemoglobinization
reflected in the color of red cells (normochromic or
hypochromic)
In general, microcytic hypochromic anemias are caused by what?
disorders of hemoglobin synthesis (most often iron deficiency)
macrocytic anemias often stem from
abnormalities that______________
impair the maturation of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow.
Normochromic, normocytic anemias have diverse etiologies; in some of these anemias, specific
abnormalities of red cell shape (best appreciated through visual inspection of peripheral
smears) provide an important clue as to the cause.
The other indices can also be assessed
qualitatively in smears, but precise measurement is carried out in clinical laboratories with
special instrumentation.
The most useful red cell indices are as follows:
- Mean cell volume
- Mean cell hemoglobin
- Mean cell hemoglobin concentration
- Red cell distribution width
Mean cell volume
Mean cell volume: the average volume of a red cell expressed in femtoliters (fL)
Mean cell hemoglobin
the average content (mass) of hemoglobin per red cell,
expressed in picograms
Mean cell hemoglobin concentration
the average concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red cells, expressed in grams per deciliter
Red cell distribution width
: the coefficient of variation of red cell volume
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
Mechanism
- BLOOD LOSS
- INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
- DECREASED RED CELL PRODUCTION
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
BLOOD LOSS
Acute blood loss
Specific Examples
Trauma
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
BLOOD LOSS
Chronic blood loss
Specific Examples
- Gastrointestinal tract lesions,
- gynecologic disturbances
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
- Inherited genetic defects
- Red cell membrane disorders
- Enzyme deficiencies
- Hemoglobin abnormalities
- Acquired genetic defects
- Deficiency of
phosphatidylinositol-linked
glycoproteins - Antibody-mediated destruction
- Mechanical trauma
- Microangiopathic hemolytic
anemias - Cardiac traumatic hemolysis
- Repetitive physical trauma
- Infections of red cells
- Toxic or chemical injury
- Membrane lipid abnormalities
- Sequestration
- Deficiency of
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
Acquired genetic defects
- Deficiency of phosphatidylinositol-linked glycoproteins
- Antibody-mediated destruction
- Mechanical trauma
- Microangiopathic hemolytic anemias
- Cardiac traumatic hemolysis
- Repetitive physical trauma
- Infections of red cells
- Toxic or chemical injury
- Membrane lipid abnormalities
- Sequestration
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
Enzyme deficiencies
- Hexose monophosphate shunt enzyme deficiencies
- Glycolytic enzyme deficiencies
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
DECREASED RED CELL PRODUCTION
Nutritional deficiencies
- Deficiencies affecting DNA synthesis
- Deficiencies affecting hemoglobin synthesis
- Erythropoietin deficiency
- Immune-mediated injury of progenitors
- Inflammation-mediated iron sequestration
- Primary hematopoietic neoplasms
- Space-occupying marrow lesions
- Infections of red cell progenitors
- Unknown mechanisms
TABLE 14-1 – Classification of Anemia According to Underlying Mechanism
DECREASED RED CELL PRODUCTION
Inherited genetic defects
- Defects leading to stem cell depletion
- Defects affecting erythroblast maturation
INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
Inherited genetic defects
Red cell membrane disorders
- Hereditary spherocytosis,
- hereditary elliptocytosis
INCREASED RED CELL DESTRUCTION (HEMOLYSIS)
Inherited genetic defects
Enzyme deficiencies
Hexose monophosphate shunt
enzyme deficiencies
- G6PD deficiency,
- glutathione synthetase deficiency