Haematology Flashcards
1
Q
Microcytic anaemia
- Causes - TAILS
A
1. Thalassaemia Anaemia of chronic disease Iron deficiency Lead poisoning Sideroblastic anaemia
2
Q
Normocytic anaemia
- Causes - 3 As, 2 Hs
A
1. Acute blood loss Anaemia of chronic disease (e.g. renal failure) Aplastic (marrow failure) Haemolytic anaemia Hypothyroidism
3
Q
Macrocytic anaemia
- Two types
- Megaloblastic - pathophysiology
- Megaloblastic - causes (2)
- Normoblastic - causes (5)
A
- Megaloblastic, normoblastic
- Impaired DNA synthesis prevents normal cell division
- B12 deficiency, Folate deficiency
4. Alcohol (+ thiamine deficiency) Reticulocytosis (haemolytic anaemia or blood loss) Hypothyroidism Liver disease (cirrhosis) Drugs (e.g. azathioprine)
4
Q
Anaemia - General
- Normal Hb levels
- Normal MCV
- Symptoms
- Clinical signs
- Signs from specific conditions - IDA
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Bone deformities
- CKD
- Blood tests
- Further tests
A
- 120-165 (F), 130-180 (M)
- 80-100 femtolitres
- Lethargy, headaches, dizzy, SOB, palpitations, angina
- Pale skin/conjunctiva, raised HR, raised RR
- Koilonychia, angular stomatitis, glossitis, brittle hair/nails
- Jaundice
- Thalassaemia
- Oedema, HTN, skin excoriations
- FBC (Hb), MCV, haematinics (ferritin, B12, folate, EPO), blood film, U+E, LFT, CRP
- Marrow biopsy, GI endoscopy (if unexplained IDA)
5
Q
Iron deficiency anaemia
- Iron - absorbed where, in what form
- Travels around in blood how
- Form when deposited/stored in cells
- Causes (4 general)
- Specific clinical signs
- Specific symptoms from history (2)
- Blood results
- Iron therapy (ferrous sulphate 3x/day) - side effects
- Iron therapy - aim for rise in Hb
- Unsuitable when
A
- Duodenum, jejunum (in soluble Fe2+ form, needs acidity)
- As Fe3+, bound to transferrin
- Ferritin
- Low dietary intake, malabsorption (coeliac, gastrectomy, PPI), loss (menorrhagia, GI bleed), increased requirements (pregnancy)
- Nail spooning (koilonychia), angular stomatitis, glossitis
- Pica, hair loss
- Microcytic anaemia, high transferrin + TIBC
- Black stools, change in bowel habit, abdominal pain, nausea
- 10g/L a week
- If IDA caused by malabsorption
6
Q
B12 deficiency anaemia
- Causes (2)
- B12 normally absorbed how
- Pernicious - pathophysiology
- Neurological complications
- Bloods - 1st line investigation
- Management - mild dietary deficiency
- Management - if severe dietary, or pernicious
- Limitation of this
- If folate deficiency too, do what
A
- Lack of B12 dietary intake, malabsorption (pernicious anaemia, gastrectomy)
- In ileum, with help from intrinsic factor (made in stomach parietal cells)
- Autoimmune - antibodies against PCs or IF
- Peripheral neuropathy (numbness, paraesthesia), Subacute combined degeneration of the cord dorsal columns (weakness, ataxia and paraplegia), visual impairment, altered mental state
- Intrinsic factor antibody
- PO replacement - cyanocobalamin
- IM hydroxycobalamin 3x a week for 2 weeks, then every 3 months
- Will not fix the cord degeneration
- Treat B12 deficiency first - giving folic acid when B12 deficient can lead to SCDC
7
Q
Folate deficiency
- Causes (4)
- Extra tests if suspected (2)
- Commonly linked disease
A
- Increased requirement (pregnancy), insufficient intake (diet), malabsorption (Crohn’s, coeliac), drugs (methotrexate)
- Jejunal biopsy - look for coeliac disease, BM aspirate
- B12 deficiency
8
Q
Haemolytic anaemia
- Where are RBC destroyed extravascularly (4)
- Inherited causes (cell wall defect)
- Immune causes (2)
- Non-immune causes (6)
- Clinical features (5)
- Investigations (FBC, blood film, DC test)
- Direct Coomb’s test - what is Coombs reagent
- Function
- When is it positive
A
- Spleen, marrow, liver, phagocytes
- Cell membrane (hereditary spherocytosis), Hb dysfunction (thalassaemia, sickle cell), metabolic (G6PD deficiency, pyruvate kinase)
- Autoimmune, alloimmune (transfusion reactions, newborn) drug-induced
- Heart valves, DIC, drugs, toxins, infection, renal/liver disease
- Triad: anaemia, splenomegaly, jaundice
Other: dark urine, pallor, pigment gallstones - FBC - normocytic anaemia
Blood film - schistocytes
DC test - positive in autoimmune haemolytic anaemia - Anti-human globulin
- Tests for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and antibodies/complement attached to RBC surface
- Positive if cells agglutinate after being washed in Coombs reagent
9
Q
Reticulocytosis - 2 classifications
A
Intra-vascular
Extra-vascular
10
Q
G6PD deficiency
- Inheritance
- Commonest in which patient cohort
- Triggers
- Results in
- Presentation
- Blood film finding
- Diagnosis via
A
- X-linked recessive
- Mediterranean/African patients
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Infection, antimalarials, fava/broad beans
- Neonatal jaundice, gallstones, haemolytic anaemia, splenomegaly
- Heinz bodies (Hb fragments)
- G6PD enzyme assay
11
Q
Thalassaemia
- Inheritance pattern, what part of Hb affected
- Type of anaemia
- Clinical features - general
- Alpha - chromosome, specific features, management
- Blood film finding
- Beta - chromosome
- B-major - definition
- B-intermedia =
- B-minor =
- Diagnosis
- Iron overload - symptoms
- Management
- Monitoring
- What cell may indicate thalassaemia
A
- Autosomal recessive; Globin chain - alpha / beta
- Microcytic
- Delayed growth, congestive HF, splenomegaly, bone deformity, increased risk of infections, iron overload
- 16, pronounced forehead, blood/marrow transfusions, splenectomy
- Heinz bodies
- 11
- 2 deletion genes (no B-globin production) - severe microcytic anaemia, splenomegaly, bone deformities. Regular transfusion, chelation, spleen out, BM transplant
- 2 defective/deletion genes, occasional transfusions
- Carrier of one abnormal, mild microcytic, monitoring
- FBC (microcytic anaemia), Hb electrophoresis (globin abnormalities), DNA testing/pregnancy screening
- Fatigue, cirrhosis, impotence, HF, arthritis, DM, osteoporosis/joint pain
- Limit transfusions, iron chelation
- Serum ferritin
- Target cells
12
Q
Sickle cell
- Inheritance
- Crisis - types(4)
- Blood tests (6)
- Bedside tests (3)
- Further test
- Acute management
- Acute chest syndrome - definition
- Prevention (3)
- Complications
A
- Autosomal recessive
- Vaso-occlusive (pain), sequestration (spleen pain, hypovolaemia), aplastic (from parvovirus B19), haemolytic (jaundice, commoner with G6PD defiency)
- FBC, U+E, LFTs, bilirubin, LDH, ABG
- Urine analysis, sputum analysis, blood culture
- Blood film, CXR
- ABCDE, fluids, analgesia, ABX if infection, maybe blood transfusion
- Fever/respiratory symptoms + new infiltrates on CXR
- Vaccinations, penicillin V prophylaxis, avoid triggers, hydroxycarbamide (stimulates HbF production)
- Avascular necrosis, pulmonary HTN, priapism, CKD
13
Q
Indirect Coombs test
- Who for
- Function
- When is it positive
A
- Pregnant women/ pre-blood transfusion
- Detects antibodies against foreign red blood cells
- Positive if serum from patient sample agglutinates after being incubated with antigenetic RBCs and added to Coombs reagent
14
Q
Haemophilia
- Inheritance
- A - deficiency + management
- Complication
- B (Christmas disease) - deficiency + management
- Features
- Bleeding sign in neonates
- Blood result
A
- X-linked recessive
- Factor 8; give desmopressin (stimulates vWF release) + factor 8 IV infusion
- 10-15% develop antibodies to factor VIII treatment
- Factor 9; treat with factor 9 IV infusion
- Haemoarthroses, haematomas, prolonged bleeding
- Cord bleeding
- Prolonged APTT, normal PT/vWF
15
Q
von Willebrand Disease (vWD)
- Types (3)
- Presentation
- Blood result
- Management (4)
A
- Partial vWF reduction (commonest, AD), abnormal form, total absence (AR)
- Behaves like platelet disorder (epistaxis, menorrhagia, gums when brushing teeth), family history of bleeding
- Prolonged bleeding/APTT, normal PT, low F8/vWF
- TXA (mild), desmopressin, vWF concentrate, factor 8
16
Q
DIC
- Pathophysiology
- Effect
- Causes (5)
- Blood results
A
- Pathological activation of coagulation, so depletion of platelets + clotting factors
- Bleeding and microvascular thrombosis
- Infection, malignancy, obstetrics, anaphylaxis, liver disease
- Prolonged APTT / PT / TT, low fibrinogen