Haem Flashcards
Signs/Symptoms of Bone Marrow Failure
o Anaemia – fatigue, pallor, SOB
o Neutropenia – infections
Can be severe + life threatening – septic shock, renal failure, DIC
Pneumonia, impetigo, necrotising fasciitis
o Thrombocytopenia – bleeding, bruising
+ DIC in acute promyelocytic leukaemia
Microscopic features of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
o Circulating blasts (in peripheral blood film) - granules
o Auer rods!!
Supportive Tx in Acute Leukaemia
- Red cells
- Platelets
- FFP / cryoprecipitate if DIC
- Antibiotics if infections/sepsis
- IV Long line
- Allopurinol (uric acid is released from dying leukaemic cells when started on Tx)
- Fluid + electrolyte balance
Local infiltration in AML vs ALL
AML: Splenomegaly Hepatomegaly Gum infiltration (monocytic disease) Lymphadenopathy (occasional) Skin CNS (monocytic)
ALL: Lymphadenopathy +/- thymic enlargement splenomegaly Hepatomegaly Testes CNS Kidneys Bone - causing pain in children (not adults)
Negative prognostic factors in AML
-5. Del 5
7q, 3q-. 11q23
Complex karyotype
+ Patient characteristics e.g. comorbidities, age
Response to Tx
Negative prognostic factors in ALL
o T(4;11) o Hypodiploidy o ?t(9;22) - Philadelphia Chr - used to be bad prognostic indicator but now improved with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
+ Patient characteristics e.g. comorbidities, age
Response to Tx
Causes of thrombocytopaenia (+ most common)
Most common = immune mediated
o Idiopathic / Auto ITP – most common immune type!
o Drug-induced – Quinine, rifampicin, vancomycin
o Connective tissue disease – SLE, Rheumatoid
o Lymphoproliferative disease – CLL, lymphoma
o Sarcoidosis
Non immune mediated
o DIC
o Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (MAHA)
Haemophilia Pathophysiology
Congenital deficiency if Factor 8 (A) or 9 (B)
X linked recessive
Pathophysiology of bleeding in Vitamin K deficiency
Vit K acts as co-enzyme for gamma protein carboxylase
Required for synthesis of:
- Factors 2, 7, 9, 10
- Protein C, S, Z
Causes: o Most common cause = Warfarin o Malnutrition o Biliary obstruction o Malabsorption o (Broad spectrum) Abx - kills intestinal flora that generates Vit K
Ix results in DIC
Prolonged aPTT Prolonged PT Prolonged TT Decreased fibrinogen High FDP Low platelets Schistocytes on blood film
Von Willebrand pathophysiology
Autosomal dominant
3 types:
o 1 = partial quantitative deficiency
o 2 = qualitative deficiency
o 3 = total quantitative deficiency
Outcome = platelets cannot adhere (via Glycoprotein Ib) to exposed subendothelial connective tissue to form primary platelet plug
Most thrombogenic (genetic) condition?
Anti-thrombin deficiency
Familial deficiency usually presents in 20s with thrombosis Sx
MOA of anticoagulant drugs: Heparin Rivaroxaban/Apixaban/Edoxaban Dabigatran Warfarin
Potentiate antithrombin
Direct acting anti Xa
Direct acting anti IIa
Vitamin K antagonist - prevents recycling of vitamin K
* Procoagulant factors 2, 7, 9, 10 fall
* NOTE: anticoagulant protein C and S also fall but NET effect = anticoagulant
Thromboprophylaxis regimen
LMWH
o E.g., Tinzaparin 4500u / Enoxaparin 40mg OD
Treatment regiments after thrombosis due to:
- Surgery
- COCP, trauma, flight
- No trigger
After surgical precipitant = VERY LOW risk of recurrence
-No need for long term Tx
After minor precipitants e.g., COCP, flight, trauma = moderate risk of recurrence
- 3-month Tx usually adequate
- Longer duration may be needed if other thrombotic/haemorrhagic RF
After idiopathic VTE (no circumstantial reason) = HIGH risk of recurrence
- Long term anticoagulation needed
- DOAC
Features of Leucoerythroblastic blood film
Teardrop RBCs - aniso, poikilocytosis
Nucleated RBCs
Immature myeloid cells
Causes of leucoerythroblastic anaemia
Malignancy
- Haem: leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma
- Non haem: metastatic breast, bronchus, prostate
Myelofibrosis
Severe infection
- Miliary TB
- Severe fungal infection
Key features of Acquired Immune mediated Haemolytic anaemia
Spherocytes on blood film
DAT+
Agglutination
Key features of Acquired Non-immune mediated haemolytic anaemia
RBC fragments ‘schistocytes’
Thrombocytopaenia
DAT-
Reactive vs malignant neutrophilia
Reactive (infection): toxic granulation, no immature cells, vacuoles in neutrophils
Malignant:
Neutrophilia + basophilia + immature cells (myelocytes) + splenomegaly –> CML
Neutrophilia + even more immature cells (myeloblasts) –> AML
Causes of Secondary polycythaemia
Appropriately increased EPO:
- High altitude
- Hypoxic lung disease
- Cyanotic heart disease
- High affinity haemoglobin
Inappropriately increased EPO:
- Renal disease – cysts, tumours, inflammation
- Uterine myoma
- Other tumours - liver, lung
Features of polycythaemia vera
Asymptomatic - raised Hb and Hct on routine FBC
Hyperviscosity Sx:
- Headaches, light headedness, stroke
- Visual disturbance
- Fatigue
- Dyspnoea
Increased histamine release
- Aquagenic pruritis (after hot bath/shower)
- Peptic ulceration
Variable splenomegaly?
Features of Essential thrombocythaemia
Asymptomatic - incidental thrombocytosis >600 on FBC in 50%
Thrombosis – arterial or venous
o CVA, gangrene, TIA
o DVT, PE
Bleeding – mucous membranes, cutaneous
Headaches, dizziness, visual disturbance
Modest splenomegaly
Clinical features of Primary Myelofibrosis
Asymptomatic - Incidental finding in 30%
Related to bone marrow failure / cytopenias
o Anaemia – pallor, SOB
o Thrombocytopenia – bruising, bleeding
Thrombocytosis
(Hepato)Splenomegaly – massive
o Budd-Chiari syndrome
Hypermetabolic state – weight loss, fatigue, dyspnoea, night sweats, hyperuricaemia (causing gout)