User:Vancleve

Anemia is a decrease in the ability of the blood to deliver oxygen to the peripheral tissues. The simplest way to break them down is as follows:

1. Underproduction
2. Blood Loss
3. Increased Destruction

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Underproduction Anemias

Anemias of underproduction can be due to :

• Unavailability of constituents of the RBC (heme, globin, iron)
• Inability to support massive cell division (folate/B₁₂ deficiency)

So let's further break it down :

Constituent Unavailability (usually a microcytic anemia)

• Anemias
• Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Anemia of Chronic Disease
• Sideroblastic Anemia
• Thalassemia

Division anemias

• Folate and B12 Deficiency

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Blood Loss Anemias

Is your patient bleeding somewhere? Is she a woman of childbearing age? Is he a man who's at risk for colon cancer? Think about all the places the good red stuff could be leaking from your patient. Don't miss the obvious bleed because you're busy thinking about what the different kinds of thallesemia are...

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Increased Destruction Anemias

Hemolysis can be broken down in a couple of different of ways, but one of the best I can think of is whether the breakdown is due to a defect in the cell (intrinsic) or a defect in the medium in which it's travelling (extrinsic).

Intrinsic Hemolysis

• Sickle Cell Disease
• Hereditary Spherocytosis

Extrinsic Hemolysis

This type of hemolysis is usually characterized by evidence of damage: peripheral smears will show schistocytes, helmet cells, teardrop shapes, and other markers of mechanical/chemical stress.

• Simple mechanical damage (marathon runner's anemia/mechanical valve hemolysis)
• Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
• Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia
• Drug Induced Hemolytic Anemia
• Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Combined Intrinsic/Extrinsic

• Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency
• Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria