Haematology Flashcards
Non-haemolytic febrile reaction
- temp increase by 1-2, or >38
- ABs reacting to WBC fragments/cytokines in blood product
Px
- fever, chills
Mx
- slow / stop transfusion
- paracetamol
- monitor
Blood product transfusion reactions
Acute reactions
- Immunological – acute haemolytic, non-haemolytic febrile, allergic / anaphylaxis
- Infective
- Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
- Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO)
- Hyperkalaemia, iron overload, clotting
- hypotension in isolation
- transfusion associated dyspnoea
Delayed reactions
- Delayed haemolytic transfusion reaction
- Post transfusion purpura
- Transfusion associated graft vs host disease
Minor allergic reaction
- ?from foreign plasma proteins, hypersensitivity reaction
Px - pruritis
- urticaria
Mx - stop transfusion
- antihistamine
- monitor
- continue once sx resolve
Anaphylaxis
Px
- hypotension, SOB, wheeze, angioedema
Mx
- stop the transfusion
- IM adrenaline
- A-E, O2, fluids, antihistamine, corticosteroids, bronchodilators, ITU review
Acute haemolytic reaction
- ABO-incompatible blood -> massive intravascular haemolysis
Px
- begin in minutes
- fever
- abdo/chest pain
- hypotension
- UO falls
Mx
- stop transfusion
- check pt identity, name on blood product
- Send bloods - DAT, G/S, crossmatch
- fluid resus
- discuss with haem / ITU - maybe steroids +/- IV Ig
Cx
- DIC
- renal failure
Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO)
- excessive rate of transfusion, eg pre-existing HF
- immediately, can be <24hrs
Px - pulm oedema
- ?hypertension
Mx - Slow / stop transfusion
- Consider furosemide, O2
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
- non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema - increased vascular permeability from host neutrophils
- hypoxia / ARDS <6hrs post-transfusion
Px - hypoxia
- fever
- hypotension
Ix - CXR - pulm infiltrates
Mx - stop transfusion
- O2, supportive
Delayed haemolytic transfusion reaction
- fever, failure to respond to transfusion, unexplained bilirubin rise
- Dx on lab tests
Post-transfusion purpura
- immune mediated - 5-12d after transfusion
- platelet drop
Indications for blood transfusion
- acute bleeding, haemodynamically unstable
- Hb <70, stable
- Hb <80, ACS
- chronic transfusion-dependent anaemia
- radiotherapy (aim Hb>100)
- exchange transfusion
Anticoagulants reversal
dabigatran - idarucizumab
heparin - protamine sulfate
apixaban/rivaroxaban - andexanet alfa
edoxaban - ?andexanet alfa
warfarin - vit K, FFP, PCC
anaemia - definition
- low Hb conc
- Men Hb 130-180, women Hb 120-165
- MCV 80-100
causes of microcytic anaemia?
MCV<80 - microcytic
- iron deficiency
- anaemia of chronic disease
- thalassaemia
- congenital sideroblastic anaemia
- lead poisoning
causes of normocytic anaemia?
MCV80-100 - normocytic
- acute blood loss
- anaemia of chronic disease
- combined haematinic deficiency - iron + B12
- aplastic anaemia
- pregnancy
- haemolytic anaemia
- hypothyroidism
causes of macrocytic anaemia?
MCV>100 - macrocytic
- B12/folate deficiency - megaloblastic - pernicious anaemia
- alcohol excess / liver disease
- hypothyroid
- bone marrow failure / infiltration
- drugs - azathioprine, methotrexae
- reticulocytosis - rapid turnover, eg haemolytic anaemia
- myelodysplasia
what is haemolytic anaemia?
- abnormal breakdown of RBCs
- see reticulocytosis, increased bilirubin, LDH
Anaemia general Px
- fatigue, SOB, faint, dizzy
- palpitations, headaches, tinnitus, anorexia
- angina, HF
- conjunctival pallor, pale skin
- hyperdynamic circulation - tachycardia, flow murmurs, cardiac enlargement
Anaemia general Ix
- FBC - Hb, MCV
- reticulocyte count
- blood film
- renal profile
- LFTs
- ferritin, B12, folate
- TFTs
- IF ABs
- Coeliac ABs
- HB electrophoresis
- DAT
- colonoscopy + OGD
- bone marrow biopsy
iron deficiency anaemia
- low Hb due to low iron
- iron absorbed in duodenum/jejunum - needed for haem formation
causes of iron deficiency anaemia?
- low iron diet - vegans, lack of green leafy veg
- blood loss - menorrhagia, GI bleed, hookworm
- malabsorption - coeliac, Crohn’s
- higher iron demand - pregnancy, growing children
- PPIs
- paeds - excessive cow’s milk intake, CMPA
iron deficiency anaemia px
- anaemia - fatigue, SOB, pallor, dizzy/faint, palpitations, headaches
- brittle hair, nails
- atrophic glossitis
- koilonychia
- angular stomatitis / cheilitis
- pica
iron deficiency anaemia Ix
- FBC, blood film - hypochromic, microcytic anaemia, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis
- iron studies - low serum ferritin, high TIBC / transferrin
- reduced reticulocyte count
- colonoscopy + OGD
iron deficiency anaemia Mx
- oral iron - ferrous sulfate / fumarate
- iron-rich diet
- iron infusions - IV CosmoFer
- blood transfusion
Sideroblastic anaemia - Px, Ix and Mx
- RBCs fail to completely form haem
- congenital / acquired
Px
- anaemia sx
Ix
- FBC - hypochromic, microcytic anaemia
- blood film - basophilic stippling of RBCs
- iron studies - high ferritin/iron/transferrin saturation
- bone marrow - Prussian blue staining – ringed sideroblasts
Mx
- tx cause, supportive
- pyridoxine (vit B6)
- transfusions