aneamia

1. C
ANEMIA
Prepared by: Lubabah

2. INTRODUCTION
“Anemia is strictly defined as a decrease in red blood cell (RBC) mass.”
 The function of the RBC is to deliver oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and carbon dioxide
from the tissues to the lungs. This is accomplished by using hemoglobin (Hb), a protein
composed of heme and globin.
 In anemia, a decrease in the number of RBCs transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide impairs
the body’s ability for gas exchange. The decrease may result from blood loss, increased
destruction of RBCs (hemolysis), or decreased production of RBCs.

3. TYPES OF ANEMIAS

4. Types: BASED ON CLINICAL PICTURE
• Iron deficiency anemia: excessive loss of iron loss
• Megaloblastic anemia: Megaloblastic anemia is a form of anemia characterized by very large
red blood cells and a decrease in the number of those cells.

5. Types: BASED ON CLINICAL PICTURE
• Pernicious anemia: Pernicious anemia, one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, is an
autoimmune condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12.
• Hemolytic anemia: Hemolytic anemia is a disorder in which red blood cells are destroyed faster
than they can be made.

6. Types: BASED ON CLINICAL PICTURE
• Thalassemia: Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes)
blood disorder caused when the body doesn't make enough hemoglobin, an important part of
red blood cells.

7. Types: BASED ON CLINICAL PICTURE
• Sickle cell anemia: An inherited disease in which the red blood cells have an abnormal crescent
shape, block small blood vessels, and do not last as long as normal red blood cells
• Aplastic anemia: Aplastic anemia is a syndrome of bone marrow failure characterized by
peripheral pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia.

8. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

9. EPIDEMIOLOGY
• In underprivileged countries, limited studies of purportedly healthy subjects show the
prevalence of anemia to be 2-5 times greater than that in the United States.
• Although geographic diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, malaria, hookworm, and
chronic infections, are responsible for a portion of the increase, nutritional factors with iron
deficiency and, to a lesser extent, folic acid deficiency play major roles in the increased
prevalence of anemia.

10. RISK FACTORS
• Poor socio economic class
• Teenage pregnancy
• Menstrual problems

11. ETIOLOGY
Basically, only three causes of anemia exist: blood loss, increased destruction of RBCs (hemolysis),
and decreased production of RBCs. Each of these causes includes a number of disorders that
require specific and appropriate therapy. Genetic etiologies include the following:
• Hemoglobinopathies
• Thalassemia
• Enzyme abnormalities of the glycolytic pathways
• Defects of the RBC
• Fanconi anemia

12. ETIOLOGY
Nutritional etiologies include the following:
• Iron deficiency
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Folate deficiency
• Starvation and generalized malnutrition

13. ETIOLOGY
Physical etiologies include the following:
• Trauma
• Burns
• Prosthetic valves and surfaces

14. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• easy fatigue and loss of energy
• unusually rapid heartbeat particularly with exercise
• shortness of breath and headache particularly with exercise
• difficult concentrating
• dizziness
• pale skin
• leg cramps
• insomnia
• brittle nails
• atrophy of the papillae of the tongue
• brittle hair
• glossitis

15. ANEMIA CAUSED BY IRON DEFICIENCY
People with a deficiency may experience these symptoms
• A hunger for strange substances such as paper, ice or dirt (a condition called pica)
• Upward curvature of the nails referred to as koilonychias
• Soreness of the mouth with cracks at the corners

16. ANEMIA CAUSED BY VIT. B12
DEFICIENCY
People whose anemia is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12 may have these symptoms:
• A tingling “pins and needles” sensation in the hands or feet
• Lost sense of touch
• A wobbly gait and difficulty walking
• Clumsiness and stiffness of the arms and legs
• Dementia
• Hallucination paranoia and schizophrenia

17. DIAGNOSIS
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)
• A CBC is used to count the number of blood cells in a sample of blood. For anemia the doctor
will be interested in the level of blood cells (hematocrit value) and the hemoglobin.

18. DIAGNOSIS
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)
Healthy adult hematocrit values are generally between 38.3% and 48.6% for men 35.5% and for
women 44.9%.healthy adult hemoglobin values are between 13.2 to 16.6 gm/dl for men and 11.6
to 15 gm/dl. Number may be lower for people who engage in intense physical exercise, are
pregnant or of older age. Smoking and being at high altitude might increase numbers.

19. TREATMENT
Anemia treatment depends upon the cause:
Iron deficiency anemia: treatment for this form of anemia usually involves taking iron
supplements and changing your diet. For some people this might involve receiving iron though a
vein. If the cause of iron deficiency is loss of blood other than from menstruation, the source of
the bleeding must be located and stopped. This might involve surgery.

20. TREATMENT
• Vitamin deficiency anemias: treatment for folic acid and vitamin c deficiency involves dietary
supplements and increasing these nutrients in your diet. If the digestive system has trouble
absorbing vitamin b12 from the food eaten, the patient might need vitamin b12 shots.

21. TREATMENT
• Anemia of chronic disease: there is no specific treatment for this type of anemia, health
practitioner focuses on the treatment of the underlying disease. If symptoms become severe, a
blood transfusion or injections of a synthetic hormone normally produced the kidneys
(erythropoietin) might stimulate RBC production and ease fatigue.

22. TREATMENT
• Aplastic anemia: the treatment for this anemia can include blood transfusion to boost level of
RBC’s. The patient might need a bone marrow transplant if the bone marrow cannot make
healthy blood cells. Anemias associated with bone marrow disease. Treatment of these various
diseases can include medication, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.

23. TREATMENT
• Hemolytic anemia: managing hemolytic anemias includes avoiding suspected medications,
treating infections and taking drugs that suppress the immune system which could be attacking
the RBC’s. Severe hemolytic anemia generally needs ongoing treatment.