Haematology Flashcards
Treatment for glandular fever?
- Supportive therapy (fluids, analgesia) - Avoid contact sports for 6 months eels to prevent splenic rupture
What does full blood count check for
RBCs - Neutrophils - Lymphocytes - - Platelets - Eosinophils - Monocytes
Abnormal FBC for neutrophils
High = neutrophilia, caused by acute bacterial infection Low = neutropenia, caused by myeloma and lymphoma
Abnormal FBC for lymphocytes
High = lymphocytosis, caused by chronic infection Low = lymphocytopenia
Abnormal FBC for platelets
High = thrombocytosis Low = thrombocytopenia
FBC values for eosinophils and monocytes
Eosinophils - elevated in parasitic infection - Monocytes - elevated in myelodysplastic syndrome
Ideal haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume values
Haemoglobin: - Women: 120-165g/L - Men: 130-180g/L anything less than the lower value is classed as anaemia MCV: - 80-100 femtolitres
MCV for different types of anaemia
<80 = microcytic 80-95 = normocytic >95 = macrocytic
When would you consider transfusions for anaemia?
Hb <70g/L or Hb <80g/L + cardiac comorbidity
General symptoms of anaemia
Fatigue - Headache - Dizziness - Dyspnoea (especially on exertion) - Chest pain
General signs of anaemia
Tachycardia + hypotension - Skin pallor - Conjunctiva pallor - Intermittent claudication
Signs specific to iron deficiency anaemia
Koilonchia - Angular stomatitis - Atrophic glossitis - Brittle hair and nails - Subconjunctival pallor
Signs specific to thalassaemia
Bone deformities
Signs specific to B12 deficiency anaemia
Angular stomatitis + glossitis - Lemon-yellow Skin - Neurological symptoms
Signs specific to haemolytic anaemia
Prehepatic jaundice - Dark urine
Signs specific to CKD
Oedema - Hypertension - Excoriations on the Skin
Iron deficiency anaemia
Non-inherited Fe deficiency, impairing Hb synthesis - Most common anaemia worldwide - More common in females
Aetiology of iron deficiency anaemia
- Infants: malnutrition, prolonged breastfeeding - Children: malnutrition, malabsorption - Alults: malnutrition, malabsorption, menorrhagia, pregnancy, hookworm - Elderly (60+): rare, red flag for colon cancer bleeding
NICE recommendation for iron deficiency anaemia age 60+
Urgent endoscopy
What causes malabsorption of iron?
Conditions that result in inflammation of the duodenum and jejunum - Coeliac - IBD - Crohn’s disease Medications that reduce stomach acid (eg: PPI) - Because acid is needed to keep iron as the soluble Fe2+
Hookworm as a cause of iron deficiency anaemia
Most common cause worldwide - Results in GI blood loss
Normal iron function
Absorbed - Circulated bound to transferrin - Stored as ferritin or incorporated into Hb
Diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia
FBC = microcytic - blood film - pencil cells (smol) platelet aggregates - Iron studies
What would a blood film of iron deficiency anaemia show?
- Small, hypochromic (pale) RBCs - Target cells - non-specific Bull’s eye pattern - Howell Jolly bodies - non-specific nucleated RBCs