Hemolytic Anemias Flashcards
What makes someone anemic?
Hbg below 11
Hct below 35
3 major causes of anemia
Decreased production of RBC
Increased destruction of RBC
Blood loss
Intravascular anemia
RBCs lyse within the blood vessels
Extravascular anemia
RBCs are destroyed within organs (spleen, liver)
Iron levels in intravascular anemia
Decrease in iron over time
___ are formed in intravascular anemia
Schistocytes
What are common things to see in intravascular anemia?
Hemoglobinuria
Decrease in haptoglobin
Iron levels in extravascular anemia
Iron is stored and recovered
How much Hgb is released into circulation in intravascular anemia?
Large amounts
How much Hgb is released into circulation in extravascular anemia?
Minimal
___ are formed in extravascular anemia
Spherocytes
Why would mean cell volume be increased in hemolysis?
Increased reticulocytes
Haptoglobin levels after inflammation
Increases and can mask changes in haptoglobin
Cause of hereditary spherocytosis
Inherited genetic effect that causes abnormal formation of proteins in RBC membrane
Pathology of hereditary spherocytosis
Abnormally shaped RBCs that are round instead of flexible disks
What does a lack of flexibility of the RBCs cause?
Causes them to get trapped in the spleen
Presentation of hereditary spherocytosis
Varying degrees of anemia
What may cause hereditary spherocytosis to present?
Infection
Treatment for hereditary spherocytosis?
Folic acid supplementation
Blood transfusions
Splenectomy
Why do we want to delay a splenectomy until after the patient is 5 years old?
Want to give the immune system time to mature and develop
Hemoglobin A
Normal adult Hgb
97-99%
aabb
Hemoglobin A2
1-3%
aadd
Hemoglobin F
Fetal hemoglobin
Less than 1%
aagg
What chromosome holds 2 copies of the alpha gene?
16