Session 5 Lecture 2 Flashcards
What is the definition of anaemia?
Haemoglobin concentration lower than the normal range
What does the normal range for haemoglobin vary with?
Age, sex and ethnicity
What is the normal haemoglobin range for an adult female?
115 - 165 g/L
What is the normal haemoglobin range for an adult male?
130 - 180 g/L
Describe some symptoms that might appear in acute onset anaemia?
Fatigue, dyspnoea, palpitations and headache
What symptoms might older patients experience when they are anaemic?
Might also experience angina and intermittent claudication
What are the clinical signs of anaemia?
Pallor, tachycardia and systolic murmur
Why might anaemia develop?
Due to abnormalities in the production, function or removal of red blood cells or to the excessive loss of blood.
Where are red blood cells made?
Bone marrow
What might cause abnormal erythropoiesis?
Exposure of the bone marrow to certain chemicals; benzene, chemotherapy, radiation, infection with parovirus or autoimmunity.
What is aplastic anaemia?
Inability of haemopoeitic stem cells to general mature blood cells.
What does aplastic anaemia result in?
Deficiency in all three blood cell types (pancytopenia) - rbc, wbc and platelets.
Give an example of how pathology outside the bone marrow causes a deficit in erythropoiesis?
Chronic kidney disease
What can cause iron deficiency?
Inc blood loss, inc requirement, dec dietary supply, dec absorption or anaemia of chronic disease
What is anaemia of chronic disease?
This is a lack of functional iron
What is anaemia of chronic disease associated with?
Chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthiritis, chronic infections and malignancy
What happens in anaemia of chronic disease?
Increase activity of macrophages reduces the lifespan of rbc and signalling through the erythropoitin receptor is blunted.
What disease form from mutations in the genes that encode the globin proteins therefore leading to anaemia?
Thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia
What is the cause of thalassaemia?
Results from decreased or absent alpha or beta globin chain production resulting in excess in the other chain. This causes defective RBC therefore destroyed in bone marrow or spleen
What is B-thalassaemia major?
Homozygous
What is B-thalassaemia minor?
Heterozygous - one normal gene
Usually asymptommatic with mild anaemia
What is B-thalassaemia intermedia?
Genetically heterozygous, mild variants of homozygous
How does B-thalassaemia major present?
Severe transfusion-dependent anaemia that first manifests 6-9 months after birth
How does B-thalassaemia intermedia present?
Severe anaemia but not enough to require blood transfusions
What is alpha-thalassaemia trait?
Deletion of two alpha globin gene
How does alpha thalassaemia train present?
Minimal or no anaemia and no physical signs - clinical findings are identical to those of beta-thalassaemia minor
What is haemoglobin H disease?
Deletion of three alpha globin genes therefore tetramers of beta-globin are formed.
How does haemoglobin H disease present?
There is moderately sever anaemia, resembling B-thalasaemia intermedia
What is hydrops fetalis?
Deletion of all four alpha globin genes