Haematology

Question 1

Causes of anaemia in infancy

Answer 1

Physiological anaemia of infancy
Anaemia of prematurity
Blood loss
Haemolysis
Twin-twin transfusion
Haemolytic disease of the newborn
Hereditary spherocytosis
G6PD deficiency

Question 2

Define physiologic anaemia of infancy

Answer 2

Normal dip in haemoglobin around six to nine weeks of age.
High haemoglobin levels at birth lead to negative feed back so reduction in erythropoietin

Question 3

Define anaemia of prematurity

Answer 3

Anaemia is much more likely in prematurity due to less time receiving iron in utero, rbc creation can’t keep up, reduced erythropoietin levels, blood tests.

Question 4

Causes of anaemia in children

Answer 4

Iron deficiency
Blood loss
Sickle cell
Thalassaemia
Leukaemia
Herediatry spherocytosis
Hereditary eliptocytosis
Sideroblastic anaemia

Question 5

Causes of microcytic anaemia

Answer 5

TAILS
Thalassaemia
Anaemia of chronic disease
Iron deficiency anaemia
Lead poisoning
Sideroblastic anaemia

Question 6

Causes of normocytic anaemia

Answer 6

Acute blood loss
Anaemia of chronic disease
Aplastic anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia
Hypothyroidism

Question 7

Causes of macrocytic anaemia

Answer 7

B12 deficiency
Folate deficiency

Question 8

Risk factors of leukaemia

Answer 8

Down’s syndrome
Kleinfelter syndrome
Noonan syndrome
Fanconi’s syndrome

Question 9

Presentation of leukaemia

Answer 9

Persistent fatigue
Fever
Failure to thrive
Weight loss
Night sweats
Pallor
Petechiae
Bleeding
Abdominal pain
Generalised lymphadenopathy
Unexplained bone or joint pain
Hepatosplenomegaly

Question 10

Investigations in leukaemia

Answer 10

FBC
Blood film
Bone marrow biopsy
Lymph node biopsy
CXR
CT
Lumbar puncture
Genetic testing

Question 11

Management of leukaemia

Answer 11

Chemo!
Radio
Bone marrow transplant
Surgery

Question 12

Complications of chemotherapy

Answer 12

Failure
Stunted growth and development
Immunodeficiency and infections
Neurotoxicity
Infertility
Secondary malignancy
Cardiotoxicity

Question 13

Define idiopathic throbocytopenic purpura

Answer 13

Condition caracterised by spntaneous low platelet count causing a purpuric rash. Auto antibodies against platelets

Question 14

Management of ITP

Answer 14

Urgent FBC and platelets
If actively bleeding or sever thrombocytopenia - prednisolone, IV Ig, transfusions, platelet transfusions