Hematology Flashcards
all forms of anemia lead to
fatigue/loss of energy
pt with severe anemia will have
SOB, lightheadedness, or confusion
diseases with similar presentations to anemia:
- hypoxia - CO poisoning - methemoglobinemia - ischemic heart disease
craving for ice or dirt, think
anemia
physical exam findings on anemic patient
- pallor - flow murmur - pale conjunctiva
physical exam findings in hemolytic anemia
- jaundice - scleral icterus
in severe anemia, what is needed to exclude ischemia?
EKG
best INITIAL test for anemia
CBC with peripheral smear
additional initial tests for anemia
- reticulocyte count - haptoglobin - LDH - total and direct bilirubin - TSH and free T4 - B12/folate levels - iron studies - UA w/ microanalysis
categorization of anemia is based on
MCV (mean corpuscular volume)
what value may indicate if there’s a problem with the synthesis of Hb?
MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration)
anemia categorized based on MCV is as follows:
- microcytic - macrocytic - normocytic
based on MCHC anemia can be further categorized as follows:
- hypochromic - hyperchromic - normochromic
- blood loss - THROMBOCYTOSIS what is the diagnosis?
IDA
- RA - ESRD - any chronic infectious, inflammatory, or connective tissue disease what is the diagnosis?
ACD
- very small MCV w/ few or no symptoms - TARGET cells what is the diagnosis?
thalassemia
- alcoholic - INH - lead exposure what is the diagnosis?
sideroblastic anemia
best INITIAL test for IDA, ACD, thalassemia, or sideroblastic anemia
iron studies
results of iron studies in IDA
- low ferritin - high TIBC (total iron binding capacity) - low iron - low iron saturation - elevated RDW (red cell distribution width)
results of iron studies in ACD
- HIGH ferritin (acute phase reactant) - low TIBC (total iron binding capacity) - low iron - normal or low iron saturation
results of iron studies in thalassemia
NORMAL
results of iron studies in sideroblastic anemia
HIGH IRON
MOST ACCURATE test for IDA
bone marrow biopsy (don’t do this on CCS exam)
MOST ACCURATE test for thalassemia
Hb electrophoresis (beta: elevated HbA2, and HbF) (alpha: normal)