Red Cells 2 Flashcards
When revieweing someones Hb blood results and deciding if they are anaemic or not, what other information should you take into account?
The age and sex of the person
Their ethnic origin
The time of day the sample was taken
How is the normal range of hameoglobin defined?
The mean of haemoglobin of subjects without disease +- 2 standard deviations
What is the normal haemoglobin values for a male aged 12-70?
140-180
What is the normal haemoglobin values for a female aged 12-70?
120-160
What are the general clinical features of someone with anaemia?
Tiredness/pallor
Breathlessness & chest pain
Swelling of ankles
Dizziness
What is a red cell indices?
They are diagnostic tests that are part of the FBC and are used to diagnose anaemias
What information does a red cell indices tell you?
Mean Cell Volume (cell size)
Mean Cell Haemoglobin
What are the different morphological descriptions of anaemia?
Hypochromic Microcytic
Normochromic Normocytic
Macrocytic
What is meant by the term hypochromic?
Pale looking RBC’s
What is meant by the term microcytic?
RBC’s smaller than the normal range of MCV
What is meant by the term macrocytic?
RBC’s larger than the normal size range for MCV
What investigations are carried out to confirm a hypochromic microcytic anaemia?
Serum Ferritin
What further tests are carried out to diagnose a normochromic normocytic anaemia?
Reticulocyte count
What further tests are carried out to confirm a diagnosis of macrocytic anaemia?
Check Vitamin B12 & Folate levels
Bone Marrow sample
After identifying a hypochromic microcytic anaemia from red cell indices and a blood film, what would a low serum ferritin result indicate?
The anaemia is caused by an Iron deficiency
After identifying a hypochromic microcytic anaemia from red cell indices and a blood film, what would a normal or increased serum ferritin result indicate?
Thalassaemia OR
Secondary anaemia
Which protein is responsible for binding Heme Iron absorbed from the duodenum?
Ferritin
What happens to Iron which has been absorbed and become bound to ferritin?
1) Sloughed off by shedding of epithelial cells
2) Transported across basement membrane by ferroportin
Once Iron is in the plasma, to which protein does it become bound to?
Transferrin
How is Iron stored in RBC’s?
As Ferritin
What is Hepcidin and where does it come from?
Hepcidin is a protein which regulates the intake of Iron of into the blood stream
Hepcidin is produced by hepatocytes in the Liver
What does hepcidin do?
Hepcidin blocks ferroportin therefore reducing intestinal Iron absorption