Haematology in pregnancy

Question 1

Why might dehydration lead to high haemoglobin levels?

Answer 1

dehydration leads to a reduction in plasma

haemoglobin is a concentration so with less solution, the red blood cell concentration will be higher

Question 2

Why does the reference range for haemoglobin change during pregnancy?

Answer 2

plasma volume rises more rapidly than red cell mass so the concentration of red cells in the blood decreases accordingly

Question 3

How does plasma volume change throughout pregnancy?

Answer 3

increases throughout pregnancy by about 50%

normal plasma volume is 2600ml, increases by about 1250ml in pregnancy

Question 4

Why does red cell mass fall after delivery?

Answer 4

heavy bleeding

Question 5

What are the daily iron requirements of a pregnant female?

Answer 5

4-7mg

menstruating female - 2mg

normal male - 1mg

Question 6

What is the normal range of mean cell volume (MCV)?

Answer 6

80-100fl