SYMPOSIUM: Anaemia

Question 1

How many L of blood do we have?

Answer 1

5L

Question 2

How many g of Iron is stored within the body?

Answer 2

4g

Question 3

What are the 4 causes of anaemia?

Answer 3

Not making enough, getting used up too quickly, bleeding, sequestering (hiding it somewhere)

Question 4

What causes microcytic and hyperchromic anaemia?

Answer 4

Iron deficiency or thalassemia. The cells will be small and pale sometimes pencil cells will appear

Question 5

What causes macrocytic and right-shifted anaemia?

Answer 5

Vitamin B12/folate deficiency. The cells will be massive

Question 6

What can vitamin B 12 be found in?

Answer 6

Dairy

Question 7

What can folate be found in?

Answer 7

Fruit/veg

Question 8

What autoimmune anaemia is related to B12 deficiency?

Answer 8

Autoimmune pernicious anaemia

Question 9

What are the causes of folate deficiency?

Answer 9

Dietary lack, alcohol, malabsorption, excess utilisation, pregnancy

Question 10

What is normocytic anaemia?

Answer 10

Normal RBC’s but there is few of them

Question 11

How is normocytic anaemia treated?

Answer 11

Erythropoietin weekly injections

Question 12

What are 3 causes of acquired bone marrow failure?

Answer 12

Marrow is empty (aplastic anaemia), marrow is full (leukaemia), or marrow is not working (dysplasia)

Question 13

What is meant by increased consumption of RBC’s?

Answer 13

Shortened cell survival or haemolysis

Question 14

Give an example of an inherited membrane problem that can cause excess consumption of RBC’s

Answer 14

Hereditary spherocytosis. The red cells are spherical not biconcave. A splenectomy may help to treat this. or Hereditary elliptocytosis where lots of the cells are long and thin

Question 15

Give an example of a haemoglobin problem that can cause excess consumption of RBC’s

Answer 15

Haemoglobinopathy like sickle cell anaemia (wrong type of Hb) or Thalassaemia (not enough Hb)

Question 16

Give examples of a metabolic disease that can cause excess consumption of RBC’s

Answer 16

G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency. An x-linked recessive disorder affecting afro-Caribbean’s.

Question 17

What are the 4 chains in a normal Hb molecule?

Answer 17

2 alpha and 2 beta chains

Question 18

What are alloimmune reactions?

Answer 18

Red cell transfusion reactions

Question 19

What is meant by sequestered blood?

Answer 19

Internal bleeding caused by trauma or vascular rupture

Question 20

What are some clinical symptoms of anaemia?

Answer 20

Tiredness, breathlessness, and pallor

Question 21

What is melaena?

Answer 21

Dark stools caused by internal bowel bleeding