Hemolytic anemia resident survival guide

Hemolytic anemia Resident Survival Guide
Overview
Causes
FIRE
Diagnosis
Treatment
Do's
Don'ts

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];

Overview

• Anemia is defined as a decrease in red blood cell population in the body.
• Hemolytic anemia results from a destruction of RBCs which is faster than the bone marrow production of them. Hemolysis can be due to either extravascular or intravascular destruction of cells.
• It is caused due to a wide variety of reasons which include inherited diseases like thalassemia, sickle cell disease etc, infections, autoimmune conditions, bone marrow dysfunction, blood transfusions and certain drugs can also result in hemolytic anemia .
• Most common presenting symptoms are fatigue, palpitations, dyspnea, tachycardia and icterus in severe cases.
• Diagnosis usually requires a battery of tests including, but not limited to a peripheral smear, CBC, serum LDH, bone marrow studies, etc.
• Treatment is directed by the specific cause and can involve bone marrow transplant, splenectomy, transfusions etc.

Causes

Intraerythrocytic causes 

1. Membrane cytoskeletal defects
   • Hereditary spherocytosis
   • Hereditary stomatocytosis
   • Hereditary elliptocytosis
   • Hereditary pyropoikilocytosis

1. 1. Enzyme defects

FIRE

Diagnosis

Treatment

Do's

Don'ts

References